Today (Friday 10 January), a former cage fighter from St Helens has been sentenced at Liverpool  Crown Court for his involvement in a major cocaine and amphetamine trafficking plot.

Paul “Boom Boom” Cahoon, 47, from Rainhill has been sentenced to nine years and three months in prison for conspiracy to supply Class A and B drugs.

Cahoon was extradited from Dubai last year after evading authorities for nearly a decade. His involvement in the drug trafficking plot dates back to 2015, where he played a senior role in moving cocaine and amphetamine between Merseyside and South Wales. The operation led to multiple seizures of drugs worth up to £83,000, with police able to link Cahoon to each one.

One of these took place on 27 January 2015 when officers stopped Michael Challoner in a transit van in Widnes. The van was searched, and police seized a quarter kilogram of cocaine worth up to more than £20,000 hidden behind a wooden panel in the vehicle. Further investigation revealed the parcel had the DNA of Adam Parkes, who had met with Cahoon earlier that day.

Challoner pled guilty to possession with intent to supply cocaine, and Parkes pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply cocaine. They were both jailed in 2016.

The second seizure occurred on 27^th April 2015 when police stopped Carl Currie who was couriering drugs from Liverpool to Cardiff to a ‘senior figure’ in the conspiracy, Andrew Rogers. Twenty kilograms of amphetamine, with a street value of between £20,000 and £40,000, were recovered from a hide in the car. Phone records showed that Andrew Rogers was in contact with Cahoon later that day when the drugs failed to be delivered, and for the duration of the conspiracy. 

Finally, On 13^th May 2015, Peter McCaffery was stopped in Crosby, Liverpool, in his car, and nine kilograms of amphetamine worth between £8,000 and £18,000 was seized from a large drawstring bag. Earlier that day, McCaffrey had been to the address of James Bush, where officers believed the drugs were collected from. McCaffrey was on his way to deliver the drugs to Michael Wright when he was arresteed.

James Bush, Peter McCaffery, Michael Wright, and Carl Currie all pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply amphetamine back in 2015 and 2016. Andrew Rogers from Cardiff was convicted after trial for the same conspiracy.

Louis Myles from St Helens was also sentenced to seven years back in 2016 for his part in the conspiracy. 

The sentencing follows Cahoon's guilty plea during his trial earlier this week. The court heard about Cahoon's notoriety from his MMA career and his significant role in the drug trafficking network.

Detective Chief Inspector Dave Worthington from the NWROCU’s Operations Team said:

"Paul Cahoon's sentencing is a testament to the relentless efforts of my investigation team and the invaluable support of the CPS and prosecution counsel. 

“Despite his attempts to evade justice for nearly a decade, we remained committed to tracking him down and dismantling the drug trafficking network he was a part of.

“This case highlights our unwavering dedication to protecting our communities from the scourge of illegal drugs.

“We hope this serves as a warning to others involved in such activities that we will not rest until they are brought to justice."