A crime boss was jailed today for ten years at Stoke-On-Trent Crown Court after admitting being at the helm of two separate international organised crime operations - dealing in stolen sports cars and illegal medicines.

Mark Robert Witchell, originally from Nantwich, fled the UK in 2011 after failing to appear at court and spent 14 years evading justice in Brazil before being arrested at Holyhead Port in August 2025.

Mark Robert Witchell

The vehicle thefts

Between 2003 and 2006, Witchell orchestrated the theft of five luxury vehicles worth a total of £288,808.56, including Mercedes and Porsche models. He used hire purchase agreements to obtain the vehicles, using other individuals and businesses as fronts to disguise his involvement.

Three of the stolen vehicles were transferred to Spain. CPS worked closely with investigators Staffordshire Police on this case.

The drugs operation

In a separate case investigated by the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), Witchell was shown to be the ringleader behind a sophisticated online drugs and medicines supply operation that generated approximately £3.7 million between August 2013 and December 2015.

Operating from Brazil, he directed a UK-based team who sold controlled drugs and prescription-only medicines, including codeine, diazepam, tramadol, and zopiclone, through websites.

The operation sold over 3 million units of drugs and medicines to customers worldwide, with substantial profits transferred to Witchell's accounts in Mauritius.

Three other members of the UK operation - Grant Newton, Darrell Baggley and Callum Baggley - were convicted and sentenced in March 2023.

Following the money

In building the case against Witchell, prosecutors had to evidence of the flow of UK money to a company in Mauritius called ‘Next Day Pharmacy Solutions’, and from there into Witchell’s personal bank account in Mauritius. 

Prosecutors had to work closely with authorities abroad, which included appealing to the Attorney General of Mauritius, to obtain the crucial evidence that showed the money exchanges taking place.

Ben Reid from the Crown Prosecution Service said:  “Witchell is a committed, organised criminal involved in multiple strands of illegal activity which he directed at arm’s length, using his network of associates to carry out his work on the ground.

“He fled abroad to Brazil when he knew he was on law enforcement’s radar in 2011, where he felt safe enough to diversify and set up an illegal medicines business supplying customers worldwide.

“Witchell showed complete disregard for the vulnerable individuals who purchased from his websites and the dangers of the drugs he supplied, which were prescription medicines with side effects and high potential for addiction.  Indeed, relatives of victims described the devastating effects of addiction to drugs such as zopiclone on their loved one’s health and mental wellbeing.

“Organised crime has no respect for borders, and we worked tirelessly to obtain evidence from abroad on this case, as well as liaising closely with partners including Staffordshire Police and the MHRA.

“This case demonstrates that the CPS is committed to pursuing criminals like Witchell wherever they are, for however long it takes.”

In addition to the jail sentence, Mark Witchell was also disqualified from acting as a company director for 14 years.

The Crown will seek a Serious Crime Prevention Order and will commence confiscation proceedings under the Proceeds of Crime Act to recover any funds and assets from this criminal activity.

Head of the MHRA Criminal Enforcement Unit, Andy Morling said:  "This case involved the large-scale illegal supply of powerful controlled drugs and unauthorised medicines, putting the public at serious risk of harm. The fact that Witchell spent a decade overseas thinking he had evaded justice makes this result all the more significant.

“The dedication and professionalism shown by our Criminal Enforcement Unit officers throughout this long and complex investigation has been exceptional. These crimes damage and destroy lives, and this case sends a clear message that there is nowhere to hide for those who seek to profit from medicines trafficking."

Detective Constable Gareth Reynolds, from Staffordshire Police's Economic Crime Unit, said: “This was a highly sophisticated criminal operation which generated millions of pounds by profiting from other people’s vulnerability and belongings.

“While Witchell may have spent 14 years on the run, it is through our evidence and the action of everyone involved in this investigation which has ensured that he was not able to escape his offending, no matter how hard he tried.

“Cases like this show the scale that organised crime can reach. It is a business which preys on the vulnerable in local communities and something which we are working robustly to identify and act against every single day in Staffordshire.”