Fugitive Essex boxer ran £6.5m cocaine ring from luxury Thai bolthole

A FUGITIVE British boxer who was on the run for two years before being arrested in Thailand has been jailed for 14 years for masterminding a multi-million pound cocaine and ketamine supply operation across the south east.

Ben Ransome, 29, (both above) sat at the top of a criminal network which organised the sale of drugs in bulk to his customer base, which included dealers linked to firearms.

He was found living in luxury on the holiday island of Phuket until his arrest at a restaurant in the Rawai district on September 2 2024, after reportedly fleeing there via Spain on March 17 2022 after an associate was arrested in the UK.

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Ransome was extradited to the UK in September this year after spending 311 days in Bangkok's notorious Klong Prem Central Prison, dubbed the "Bangkok Hilton" for its nightmare conditions.

Basildon Crown Court today<Dec23>heard Ransome continued to direct the organised crime group from his luxury bolthole before the group was dismantled.

The gang is estimated to have been involved in the supply of 169kgs of cocaine, at up to 80 percent purity, alone between February and March 2022 which was worth an estimated £6.5 million and a further 25kgs of ketamine.

Prosecuting, Stephen Shay, told the court: "At all material times, Ben Ransome was the leader of this organised crime group. Russell Dendle was his right-hand man. When Ransome moved abroad on the 17 March 2022, he continued to direct the activities Kieran Grant, a courier, until the latter’s arrest on the 31 March 2022, of Russell Dendle, (above) until his arrest on the 20 April 2022, and Tai Cook, another courier, until the latter’s arrest on 19 May 2022."

The court heard that Ransome fled the UK to Spain on the same day major Basildon drug supplier David Glover and his runner Nicholas Powell were arrested on March 17 2022.

But, he continued to direct the supply of drugs through his couriers, who were under surveillance, until their arrests.

Grant (below) was arrested on March 31 and found with 19kgs of cocaine worth £722,000 that Ransome had directed him to collect.

Messages between the pair showed Grant was paid about £100 per kilogram he delivered, receiving an estimated £19,000 for his work during the conspiracy.

Dendle was arrested on April 20 and was found to have 6kgs of cocaine in the boot of his car, which also correlated with messages sent from Ransome directing the delivery of the cocaine.

Cook (below) had 4kg of cocaine on him when he was arrested on 19 May 2022 and at his address they found a further 7.5kgs of cocaine and 4.5kgs of ketamine.

On September 16 2025, Ransome pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply cocaine, conspiracy to supply ketamine, conspiracy to possess criminal property and supplying 8 kg of cocaine to customer Charles Lancaster.

Ransome's defence barrister Jonathan Green urged the judge for leniency saying the 311 days spent at the Bangkok jail should be taken into account.

He also said Ransome had been a model prisoner in the UK and was now a changed man after experiencing "complete body paralysis" from inhaling nitrous oxide - so called "hippy crack".

Referring to a letter sent to the judge by Ransome, he said: "It speaks of a changed man who is expressing genuine remorse and he had put behind him the lifestyle that led to the commission of these offences.

"He suffered complete body paralysis as a result of taking nitrous oxide and that was a shock to him as he had to learn to walk again and had many months before any normal functionality. It was a terrifying experience which has brought about a change and he is not the same man who was committing these offences three years ago."

Sentencing him to a total of 14 years in prison, Judge Siew Loke (female) said: "You were the leader in an organised criminal group involving the movement and distribution of large quantities of drugs.

"This group included Mr Dendle, your right hand man, with  Kieran Grant and (above) Cook as the couriers. The conspiracy period was five months from January 2022 to May 2022.

"Police observations showed you and Mr Dendle involved in transactions with other large scale suppliers of cocaine and involved in deliveries of drugs around the country.

"At times you are with him and at other times he is acting under your instruction. The messages between Mr Dendle and yourself make it clear you are directing the operation, giving instructions on location and details of deliveries of drugs and cash.

"The messages also indicate that Mr Dendel is in your pay. On one such occasion Mr Dendle travelled as far as Sheerness, then Southampton and Birmingham all on the same day, 17 February 2022. He collected heavy bags, presumably of drugs or cash and all the while in communication with you.

"On 22 February 2022 a bag was seized from an individual Charles Lancaster (below) who was stopped by police after a bag exchange was observed as having been made between you both. That bag was found to contain 8kg of cocaine and your fingerprints were on the drug packaging."

Ransome received 14 years for the conspiracy to supply cocaine, eight years for conspiracy to supply ketamine, eight years for conspiracy to possess criminal property and ten years for supplying cocaine to Lancaster, however they will all be served concurrently.

He also faces proceeds of crime confiscation proceedings next year.

Daniel Newell, National Crime Agency (NCA) Regional Manager for Thailand said: “Ben Ransome ran a highly sophisticated operation with no regard for the lives he devastated through his crimes. He believed he could evade justice by fleeing the country, underestimating the reach of the NCA and international partners to track down fugitives. Through the joint efforts of the NCA, the Royal Thai Police – specifically the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) and the Attorney General’s Office – and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, we located and extradited Ransome back to the UK to face justice.”

Police Lieutenant General Nattasak Chaowanasai, CIB Commissioner added: “Regardless of where the crime is committed or what form it may take, CIB will remain fully committed to providing international cooperation of this nature and to strengthen our collective efforts in combating transnational organised crime.”