Norfolk drug dealer, Benjamin Macann, jailed for 10 years after being on the run in Bulgaria

A fugitive drug dealer who brought large amounts of cocaine into Norfolk and was on the run for almost two years before being arrested in a Bulgarian shopping mall car park has today been jailed for ten years.

Benjamin Macann, 34, formerly of Halfpenny Lane, Beetley, near Dereham, appeared at Norwich Crown Court for sentencing having previously admitted to the supply of cocaine between April 1, 2020, and January 15, 2021.

A public appeal to help trace Macann was made in January 2022 when the National Crime Agency (NCA) and Crimestoppers launched a ‘Most Wanted’ campaign featuring 12 fugitives they believed to be hiding in Spain.

The Norfolk and Suffolk Serious and Organised Crime Unit played a major part working closely with other law enforcement partners to locate Macann.

He was subsequently arrested in the southern city of Plovdiv, Bulgaria, in June 2022, having left the UK in September 2020.

He landed in the UK on July 7, 2022, and was immediately taken to Norwich Magistrates Court where he was remanded in custody.

Det Sgt Eddie Hammond of the Norfolk and Suffolk Serious Organised Crime Unit said: “Macann played a major role in an organised crime group responsible for the purchase, collection, and delivery of commercial quantities of cocaine into Norfolk.

“When located and arrested in Bulgaria he was in possession of a false passport and driving licence.

“The illicit supply of Class A Drugs ruins lives. Norfolk and Suffolk Police will always pursue offenders who are involved in the supplying and selling of drugs, take action, and bring them before the courts.”

Macann used EncroChat, which has since been closed, to bring large amounts of cocaine into Norfolk using the code names Wornfire and Tidyfly.

Among messages recovered by investigators as they collected evidence against him were those detailing numerous instances where he conspired to supply cocaine, negotiated prices, and shared pictures of cocaine blocks featuring an identifiable stamp.

They reveal he regularly collected large sums of money from various locations across Norfolk – one was said to be worth £155,000.