Two men jailed for over 20 years after prison drugs plot intercepted by police and Border Force
Two men, Nico Logan and Michael Garside, have been sentenced to a combined total of over 20 years in prison for their roles in a drug importation plot. Logan, already serving a 16-year sentence for firearms and drug offences, orchestrated the importation of nearly £1.2 million worth of cocaine from the Netherlands while in prison. Garside, his accomplice, handled the logistics outside. The plot was uncovered after UK Border Force intercepted a parcel containing cocaine at Birmingham Airport. Both men were linked through extensive phone analysis and surveillance. Greater Manchester Police (GMP) highlighted their ongoing efforts to combat prison-based organised crime through initiatives like Operation Gatehouse.
Imprisoned Crime Boss Nico Logan Gets 15 More Years for £1.2m Cocaine Plot
Nico Logan, already serving 16 years for firearms and drug offences, has been handed an additional 15-year sentence for orchestrating a £1.2 million cocaine importation plot from his prison cell.
Logan, 32, directed the operation from behind bars while accomplice Michael Garside, 38, handled the drugs on the outside. Garside received nine years and seven months at Manchester Crown Square Crown Court.
The conspiracy unravelled when Border Force officers intercepted a parcel from the Netherlands at Birmingham Airport on 7 June 2023. The package, destined for Wythenshawe, contained 12 brown parcels of cocaine with an estimated street value of £1.2 million.
Surveillance officers watched Garside collect the delivery on 15 June 2023 and immediately call Logan in prison. Police later recovered the cocaine from a property on Cedars Road, Wythenshawe, where they arrested Garside.
Phone analysis revealed Garside had been updating Logan on deliveries since May 2023. Investigators established Logan’s phone was primarily used during morning and evening hours when prisoners can make calls, with the dominant cell mast located next to the prison.
“Nico Logan did not use his time in prison to rehabilitate, rather he continued to build on his illicit enterprise,” said Detective Constable Marc Walby from Greater Manchester Police’s Serious Organised Crime Group.
The investigation formed part of Operation Gatehouse, launched in April 2024 to tackle organised crime across Greater Manchester’s four prisons. The initiative targets contraband smuggling, drone deliveries and associated violence.
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