Notorious Fylde coast drug baron Lee Broadbent arrested for breaching licence conditions

Lee Broadbent, 42, from Poulton - dubbed the Cocaine Kingpin - was sentenced to 16 years after he was convicted of supplying cocaine in 2014.

He served just six years before being released on licence in 2020. But after failing to adhere to the conditions of his release, he was arrested and recalled to prison on Saturday (September 24).

A police spokesman said: “We have arrested a man for breaching his prison licence conditions.

“Lancashire Constabulary instigated Operation Oriole in September 2011 which was an investigation into the supply of class A drugs within the North West.

"As a result, the head of this crime group - Lee Broadbent – was subsequently arrested and convicted of Conspiracy to Supply Class A controlled Drugs – Cocaine.

"He was given a 16-year sentence in 2014 at Preston Crown Court.

“Broadbent, 42, of Poulton was released on licence in 2020 but failed to adhere to his licence conditions.

"He was recalled to prison and subsequently arrested by officers from the Neighbourhood Task Force this morning.”

Who is Lee Broadbent?

Lee Broadbent, 42, was jailed after he was arrested and convicted of Conspiracy to Supply Class A controlled Drugs – Cocaine – in 2014.

He was living the high life in a five-bedroom detached house with a heated indoor pool in Mains Lane, Poulton and drove around in prestige cars.

But when officers swooped on a van in the Tesco car park in Clifton Road, a package containing a £130,000 haul of drugs hidden was found hidden under the driver’s seat.

Broadbent fled the UK and continued to run his empire from Spain via a network of pay-as-you-go phones whilst living the high life on the Costa Del Sol.

He was extradited to the UK three years later after being picked up on an international arrest warrant as he paddled at the Aqualand Waterpark in Torremelinos.

Throughout a seven week trial at Preston Crown Court, he maintained he had made his fortunes through gambling but was convicted of flooding the North West with around £500,000 of Class A drugs through a network of dealers operating in Manchester and Lancashire.

His gang were jailed for over 80 years for their part in supplying drugs across the North West.

Broadbent – the head of the crime group – was convicted of Conspiracy to Supply Class A controlled Drugs – Cocaine.

He was handed a 16-year sentence at Preston Crown Court in 2014 and served six years before being released on licence in 2020.

On Saturday (September 24) 2022, he was recalled to prison and subsequently arrested for breaching the conditions of his early release.

Police statement following Broadbent’s arrest

Insp Martin Wyatt, of Wyre Police, said: “We will continue to work together with our partners to target serious and organised crime. Drugs cause misery for our communities and devastate lives which is why Lancashire Constabulary will target and disrupt organised crime linked with drug supply.

"I want to reassure people that we are targeting drug dealers, reducing supply and tackling violent crime.

"We can only do this by working together with the public and our partners.

"Officers will proactively target and disrupt drug dealers and seize the assets of criminals involved.

"Let this serve as a warning to those committing crime in Lancashire, we are watching, and we will put you before the courts.”

If you have information about drug dealing in your community, you can report it anonymously here.