Will Francis Coggins' son keep Huyton Firm alive after his dad who led it with brother was finally caged or are his days numbered?

FRANCIS Coggins' son Francis Parker is being hunted by police as one of the last key members of the Huyton Firm who remain at large.

Police have appealed for the public's help to find Parker, 40, following the jailing of his father on Thursday, November 27 2025, and believe he is in Holland or Spain.

Detective Chief Inspector Dave Worthington said: “While Francis Coggins’ sentencing represents the dismantling of the group’s leadership, one individual, Francis Parker, 40, from Huyton, connected to the case remains wanted. We believe he may be abroad in Holland or Spain. Anyone with information is urged to contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111."

Coggins, 60, (top left) originally from Stockbridge Village, was jailed for 18 years at Liverpool Crown Court after being convicted of conspiracy to supply Class A drugs.

He had been on the run for five years before being arrested in the Netherlands earlier this year and extradited back to the UK with support from the National Crime Agency (NCA).

The North West Regional Organised Crime Unit (NWROCU) has branded the EncroChat-based Operation Subzero, which led to the jailing of Coggins, brother Vincent Coggins, 58, and several other gang members, as one of its most ever significant investigations.

Francis and his younger brother Vincent (top right) sat at the head of the organised crime group known as the Huyton Firm.

Vincent is already serving a 28 year sentence for his role in the conspiracy, while Francis has now joined him behind bars.

Based in the Netherlands, Francis organised the importation of wholesale, multi‑kilogram quantities of cocaine and heroin into the UK. Between 1 March 2020 and 17 June 2020, he arranged the importation of more than a tonne of Class A drugs, with a minimum wholesale value of more than £16 million.

While Vincent focused on the domestic supply of Class A drugs across England, Wales and Scotland, Francis dealt directly with buyers, negotiating prices and credit terms.

As part of Operation Venetic, an international operation targeting criminals who used EncroChat, recovered messages revealed how the brothers coordinated their criminal enterprise, with couriers and associates in the UK handling distribution and money collection.

The Coggins OCG had individuals based abroad who imported drugs into the UK via a legitimate courier service. Parcels were posted to addresses in the North West to ensure they arrived at a particular depot.

A corrupt employee, Daniel Taylor, within the courier company would then identify the relevant boxes and remove them from the depot, handing them to Darren Roberts waiting outside. From there, the drugs were passed to Stephen Metcalf, on behalf of Christopher Gibney, before being taken to a ‘safe house’ managed by Paul Glynn.

Taylor, Roberts, and Metcalf were collectively jailed for 45 years back in March 2021, while Gibney received a 21-year sentence in June 2024 after being arrested in the Costa Del Sol and extradited to the UK following more than three years on the run.

The conspiracy began to unravel after a violent raid on one of the Coggins’ stash houses on Croxdale Road West in Huyton. During the robbery, offenders stole around 30kg of cocaine with a street value of more than £1 million. The Cox brothers, Richard Caswell, and Ben Monks-Gorton were later jailed for more than 40 years in August 2023 following Operation Geladi – a Greater Manchester Police investigation into the robbery and the machete attacks carried out on the occupants.

In the aftermath of the theft, Vincent Coggins wrongly suspected innocent people of being involved. He issued threats against them, and under this pressure the group went on to extort a property worth more than £1 million, in exchange for their safety.

Francis was regularly updated on the fallout, while Vincent led efforts to recover the missing drugs or their financial equivalent. Although Francis was not charged with involvement in the blackmail conspiracy, EncroChat messages show he was kept informed of threats and intimidation carried out by his brother and associates. His encrypted handle was ‘MixedJet’ and ‘TallCanine’, which investigators were able to link directly to him through the recovered messages.

The messages also revealed the brothers’ equal standing in the organisation, each with their own areas of responsibility, but with Francis often setting prices and approving deals.

Nine other defendants have already been sentenced for more than 155 years as part of this investigation.*

Sentencing Francis Coggins, His Honour Judge Trevor Jones said: “You were a leading figure in each of these conspiracies, and that is not disputed. You described the importation as being ‘your enterprise’. The drugs were under your control and were imported on an almost daily basis.

“This was a sophisticated operation. The amount of drugs imported under the indictment was at least one metric tonne, with a minimum wholesale value in excess of £16 million. The purity was expected to be around 55%.

“As far as your organised crime group is concerned, you were directing and organising the buying and selling of these drugs on a commercial scale. You had subordinate links to others in the chain, and you had clear expectations of substantial financial gain.

“There is a clear indication that your role was firmly within the leading category, comparable to your brother. As far as harm is concerned, there is no real dispute. Even on a conservative estimate, the amount of cocaine and diamorphine supplied was approximately 350 kilograms during the conspiracy.”

DCI Worthington, formerly with the North West Regional Organised Crime Unit and who headed up Operation Subzero, said: “Francis Coggins thought he could evade justice by remaining on the run for five years, but this sentencing proves that there is nowhere to hide. He played a pivotal role in importing vast quantities of cocaine and heroin into the UK, fuelling misery in our communities.

“The Coggins OCG’s activities spanned Merseyside, the wider UK and Scotland, with drugs imported from Europe and distributed through a network of couriers and stash houses.

“Today’s sentence brings the total sentencing for Operation Subzero to more than 170 years. Together with our partners, we will relentlessly pursue those who bring drugs and violence into our communities, no matter how long it takes.”