One-way ticket for Oldham dad who thought he'd be safe in Brazil

Allan Sice, a 49-year-old dad from Oldham, was extradited back from Brazil to face charges for conspiring to import over 120 kilos of cocaine from South America. Using the handle ‘LuckyNumberEight’ on the encrypted EncroChat, Sice coordinated with criminals to smuggle cocaine possibly hidden in bananas from Ecuador and coffee from Colombia. The court heard he played a key role as a middleman, despite no actual drugs being shipped. He fled to Brazil after realising law enforcement had cracked EncroChat. In Brazil, he faced a harrowing 13-day kidnapping ordeal, which included torture and threats at gunpoint. Back in the UK, he was sentenced to 16 years in prison after pleading guilty to multiple drug conspiracy charges. Despite his claims of not being directly involved with South American criminals, evidence showed he lived well beyond his means, with a bank account containing £70,000. Judge Patrick Field KC remarked that Sice’s departure was clearly an attempt to dodge justice, highlighting his significant role in the drug trafficking scheme.

Read the full article at Manchester Evening News