A Liverpool drug gang were jailed after sending a promotional offer to 9,000 customers celebrating the release of Colombia star Luis Diaz's kidnapped dad
Neil Docking and Emily Carubia
09:48, 10 Feb 2026
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - APRIL 27: (SUN OUT, SUN ON SUNDAY OUT) Luis Diaz of Liverpool celebrates scoring his team's first goal during the Premier League match between Liverpool FC and Tottenham Hotspur FC at Anfield on April 27, 2025 in Liverpool, England. (Photo by Liverpool FC/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)
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(Image: Liverpool FC/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)
Brazen drug dealers who issued a special offer on cocaine when a Premier League star's kidnapped dad was set free have been locked up.
The crooks sent out an astonishing marketing text to more than 9,000 punters on their "graft phone" after former Liverpool winger Luis Diaz's dad was liberated in November 2023, following his harrowing 13-day ordeal at the hands of Colombian guerrillas.
The now Bayern Munich forward's mum Cilenis Marulanda and dad Luis Manuel 'Mane' Diaz were kidnapped by armed men on motorbikes at a petrol station in their hometown of Barrancas on October 29 that year. Diaz's mum was rescued by police a day later, with a major military search announced to locate the Colombia hero's dad, whose release was eventually secured.
Luis Diaz with his mum and dad who were kidnapped in Colombia
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Luis Diaz with his mum and dad who were kidnapped in Colombia(Image: Instagram)
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Looking to cash in on the news, the gang's message declared: "3 for £75 for the next hour to celebrate Luis Diaz dad getting released in the Colombian jungle."
Ringleader Paul Lockyer, 42, from Selworthy Road in Birkdale, along with seven Merseyside-based members of the drug network were handed sentences totalling more than 63 years at Liverpool Crown Court on Monday.
The convictions came after a probe by the Merseyside Organised Crime Partnership (OCP), working alongside the National Crime Agency (NCA) and Merseyside Police, reports the Liverpool Echo.
Lockyer, dubbed "the big fella" by his associates, masterminded the enterprise with his lieutenant James Neary, 57, of no fixed address. The pair controlled a supply chain dealing two grades of cocaine - premium "flake" and cut-price "mix" - throughout Liverpool.
The gang's ringleader Paul Lockyer
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The gang's ringleader Paul Lockyer(Image: NCA)
Gang members operated in shifts to handle and distribute hundreds of orders daily, stashing narcotics across numerous properties around the city. Cops reckon Lockyer splashed the profits on a lavish lifestyle, including designer bling and clothes, swanky motors and holidays on private yachts.
Unbeknown to Lockyer, investigators were keeping a close eye on the operation, watching drug collection meetings and the handover of the dedicated phone used for round-the-clock orders.
Paul McArdle, 33, from Buckfast Close in Netherton, was a key operator of the graft phone and coordinated cocaine deliveries. Christopher Horrocks, 46, from Buckley Hill Lane in Sefton, and Stephen Lynch, 38, from Keene Court in Netherton, managed deals and re-stocking, with Horrocks also ensuring the phone was always topped up and active.
Luis Diaz unveiling a shirt that read 'Freedom for Dad' after scoring for Liverpool
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Luis Diaz unveiling a shirt that read 'Freedom for Dad' after scoring for Liverpool(Image: PA)
Luis Diaz's dad celebrating a Liverpool goal after his release by kidnappers
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Luis Diaz's dad celebrating a Liverpool goal after his release by kidnappers(Image: Sky Sports)
Michelle Higgins, 39, stashed large amounts of cocaine at her home on Clock Tower Drive, Walton, where orders were prepared. Lee Nugent, 46, of Church Road, Waterloo, acted as a dealer, while his partner Julie McCafferty, 43, helped run the phone, prepare drugs and direct couriers.
On May 6 last year, officers raided multiple addresses and arrested all eight members. Lockyer and Neary were collared at Higgins' home, where officers found the graft phone in the kitchen next to a one-kilogram block of cocaine and a hefty quantity of adulterant.
During the investigation, police seized 874 grams of cocaine with an estimated street value of £89,000, drug-mixing kit and around £3,500 in cash, believed to be proceeds of crime.
More than 9,000 customer contacts were discovered on the phone, along with thousands of messages advertising "delivery to your door", special offers and discounts. In one AI-generated video, the gang even advertised a Christmas discount on "flake".
The gang were jailed for a total of 63 years
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The gang were jailed for a total of 63 years(Image: NCA)
A drugs expert testifying in court admitted he had "never encountered a drugs line as well run". It's estimated that from October 2023 to May 2025, the gang distributed at least 9.9 kilograms of cocaine, raking in more than £620,000 in revenue.
All eight were sentenced this week having previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply class A drugs on June 10, 2025.
Lockyer received an 11-year and four-month prison sentence; Neary was put behind bars for nine years and nine months; McArdle was jailed for 10 years and one month. Lynch received an eight-year sentence; Nugent was given eight years in prison; McCafferty was handed a six-year sentence; Horrocks was also sentenced to six years in prison; and Higgins was imprisoned for four years and six months.
NCA senior manager Jon Hughes, of Merseyside OCP, commented: "The group's criminal enterprise was like a fast food delivery service for drugs, with cocaine rapidly dispatched to hundreds of people every day and promotions offered that would keep people coming back for more.
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"The cocaine trade causes significant harm, including fuelling horrendous violence on our streets. Every order this group fulfilled, caused more harm to people and communities in Liverpool. It's really significant that we have shut down Lockyer's illicit business and ensured its members are now behind bars."