Greater Manchester drugs kingpin's lavish luxury lifestyle ended after being caught by cops
A drugs kingpin has been caught by cops, bringing his luxurious lifestyle crashing down.
Keiron Leonard, 32, was behind the wheel of his Volkswagen when officers pulled him over and snapped handcuffs onto his wrists. He was the ringleader of a gang responsible for bringing huge amounts of cocaine into Greater Manchester - instructing others to collect money and deal the drugs on his behalf.
Leonard's lavish lifestyle saw him frequently jetting off on luxury holidays and wearing designer clothing. During a search of his home, three Rolex watches with a value of more than £80,000 were seized.
Footage of his arrest on May 10, 2024, shows him interrupting officers with questions like: "What's that mean?". When told he was suspected of supplying Class A drugs, he asked: "Why though?".
Later accepting his fate, he says: "Alright, no worries. That's fine.".
The video, released by cops after a six-month operation, also shows topless Mark Cosgrave, 52, being detained after a morning raid on the same day. Cosgrave, whose role was to dilute the cocaine with adulterants to maximise profits before repackaging the drugs, had been trusted to keep them at his home address.
More than £24,000 worth of cocaine was seized from his address, as well as a hydraulic press used to repackage the drugs. Also arrested that day was Rhys Shaw, 34, who was identified as Leonard's right-hand man and was responsible for supplying street dealers and collecting the cash from the drug sales.
More than £7,000 in cash was found at his home. The trio had been working together to obtain large weights of cocaine before breaking down the drug and supplying it to other drug dealers in Greater Manchester.
Between November 2023 and May 2024, cops discovered they had supplied around 14 kilos of cocaine. Leonard, of Corston Grove, Blackrod, was sentenced to 14 years and three months after he was convicted of being concerned in the supply of cocaine.
Shaw, of Albert Road, Bury, was sentenced to seven years and six months after he was convicted of being concerned in the supply of cocaine. Cosgrave, of Medlock Way, Bury, was sentenced to six years and nine months after he was also convicted of being concerned in the supply of cocaine.