Cyprus-Forum.com

[Svetlana]

'Milkman Always Delivered'
Updated: 15:14, Monday April 02, 2007

Brian Wright, who was known as 'The Milkman' because he always delivered, was one of Britain's most powerful gangsters who flooded the UK with tonnes of cocaine.

The flamboyant Irishman, who is close friends with TV comic Jim Davidson, laundered his drug money by betting heavily on horse racing.

He once won £1 million in the 2,000 Guineas race and splashed out on a brand new car for every member of his organisation.

Wright, aged 60, is blamed for almost single-handedly corrupting the sport of racing over the last 30 years.

He bribed jockeys, trainers and stable lads to set-up races or dope horses.

He was excluded by the Jockey Club after an inquiry held while he was on the run in the Mediterranean.

It was revealed during the trial at Woolwich Crown Court that he escaped justice with the help of jockey Declan Murphy on a private jet to Northern Cyprus, which has no extradition treaty with this country.

The case followed the conviction five years ago of both his son Brian Anthony Wright and son-in-law Paul Shannon for involvement in the same smuggling ring.

In total at least 16 people were convicted worldwide and sentenced to 215 years.


Some of the recovered cash Police began bugging Wright's exclusive riverside flat in Chelsea Harbour in 1997 and took a rare picture of him standing on the balcony.

His operations involved bringing huge amounts of cocaine into the country - one shipment was valued at £50 million, another at £30 million.

Millions of pounds in cash and gold bars would then be returned by boat to South America as payment.

It was only in the spring of 2005 that Wright snr was arrested in Marbella, southern Spain, and flown back to Britain to face trial.

He told the jurors he made millions by using his 'natural talent' to bet legally on horse racing.

But prosecutor Michael Parroy QC told the court this was purely a cover and façade for his true wealth earned from the drug trade.

"Like a lot of men at the top of organisations he let others do the more dangerous work and relied on them to do the work and take the risks for him," he said.

Detectives will now attempt to claw back millions of pounds from Wright's empire, which is believed to include luxury properties stretching from Jamaica to Johannesburg.

They may also look further into claims he is connected to a series of gangland murders and the disappearance of a woman and her child in the Caribbean.

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<He has a villa a little way outside Kyrenia>

Lana

[Niki]

Wow what a personality, sounds like something out of James Bond!

[Sotos]

<He has a villa a little way outside Kyrenia>

The little criminal illegal state must have been the dream of those criminals. They are all there now!

[Bill]

He certainly caused me a lot of problems in the past if it's the same guy I'm thinking about

[tessintrnc]

Its interesting that he left the TRNC because he feared detention isnt it? After all, some other crims have been here for years......................

[Svetlana]

Hi Tess

A couple of years back the Police in the north agreed to arrest him on behalf of the UK Authorities, even though there is no extradition agreement. He found out and left a couple of days before the arrest was due to take place. He had been living in the north (Lapta) for about 4 years. He was subsequently seen in Paphos, I believe.

Maybe Mr Robb will be next?

Lana

[twinkle]

Ah, the corruption of a police force. How on earth was he tipped off???