wmlro.com: how a jailed criminal mooned drugs police

Americans call a mobile phone a "cell." So stand by to be confused: George Moon, convicted cocaine smuggler with contacts in the global drugs industry used his mobile phone to make calls from his cell. Prison cell, that is.

In 2003, 57 year old Moon of Greenway Road, Widnes and his accomplices Peter James Wilson, 26, of Jenkinson Street, Liverpool; John Matthew Austin, 27, of Emery Street, Walton, Merseyside and William Michael Dickman, 27, of Rosevale, Liverpool were sentenced to jail terms ranging from 11 to 14 years. They were, respectively, the planners and bag men in a scheme that brought some GBP3.6 million worth of cocaine into the UK in 2002 from the Netherlands. One shipment alone was, at the time, reported to be worth GBP2 million.

All the defendants pleaded guilty, but appealed their sentences arguing that there had been insufficient discount given for their guilty pleas.

Because of the UK's system of parole, the time in jail was coming to an end when Moon had another idea: he could source cocaine from Venezuela and Panama and sell the product in Liverpool and Ireland. All he needed, he figured, were a couple of reliable men on the outside - and a mobile phone.

Using packages purporting to contain legal documents, and therefore immune from search, Moon received a variety of things through the mail.

But the packages raised suspicions and one was opened. It was found to contain a quantity of cocaine: the authorities think that it was intended as a currency in jail.

The method of importation was simple: packages were sent from Panama or Venezuela to addresses in Cork, Ireland. Then they were hand carried into the UK.

But Moon was under close monitoring as a result of the cocaine find. And it was soon discovered that he had a phone which he charged from a battery-powered razor.

One day last year, as Moon made a call from that mobile phone, officers from the Serious and Organised Crime Agency entered his cell. Searching his cell, they found a notebook with a list of contacts in the UK and in Panama.

The case was conducted under reporting restrictions until Abid Latif Hussain, 22, pleaded guilty and in doing became the last gang member to do so.

Lee Standeven, 24, Widnes, Cheshire, pleaded guilty to smuggling the mobile phone and drugs to Moon in prison.

Anthony Parry, 39, also of Widnes, admitted conspiring to import class A drugs into the UK and Ireland.

Bilaal Khan, 27, admitted conspiracy to import cocaine into the UK and Ireland

Harminder Singh, 25, admitted conspiracy to import cocaine into Ireland

In Panama, Leo Morgan has been sentenced to ten years jail for his part in the plot.

Two other gang members are in jail in Ireland.

George Moon has pleaded guilty to four charges: conspiring to import class A drugs into the UK and Ireland, causing the smuggling of drugs into HMP Lindholme and causing the smuggling of mobile phone parts into the jail.

Those in the UK will be sentenced in several weeks.