Huyton Firm

The Huyton Firm, also known as the Cantril Farm Cartel, is an organized crime group based in the Huyton area of Liverpool, Merseyside, England. Founded in the 1990s, the group has been involved in large-scale drug trafficking, blackmail, and violent crime. The gang rose to prominence by filling a power vacuum left by other notorious Liverpool criminals, such as Curtis Warren and Colin "Smigger" Smith, after their arrests and deaths. Over three decades, the Huyton Firm became one of the most powerful and secretive crime organizations in the UK, with significant international connections.

History and Operations

Formation and Early Activities

⁣The Huyton Firm was founded in the 1990s by two brothers from the Huyton area. They took advantage of the decline of other Liverpool-based gangs and quickly established a reputation for their ruthlessness in the drug trade. The brothers, Vincent and Francis Coggins, were known for their tight control over their operations, relying on a network of trusted associates and the use of encrypted communication to evade law enforcement. The gang trafficked large quantities of cocaine, heroin, and other drugs across the UK and Europe, establishing distribution networks in cities like Manchester, Glasgow, Swansea, and Plymouth.

Rise to Power

⁣Throughout the late 1990s and 2000s, the Huyton Firm solidified its dominance in Liverpool’s criminal underworld. The gang became notorious for its use of extreme violence, including the use of firearms and grenades, to enforce its control and retaliate against rivals. The gang operated with the help of corrupt insiders within law enforcement, who provided them with information from police databases. This allowed the Huyton Firm to evade detection and continue their operations with near-impunity for many years.

The group’s use of the encrypted messaging service EncroChat was central to their operations. The service, believed to be secure, enabled the gang to communicate freely about drug deals, acts of violence, and other illegal activities without fear of interception. However, in 2020, French police successfully hacked the EncroChat platform, giving British law enforcement access to thousands of messages sent by the Huyton Firm and other organized crime groups.

Major Criminal Activities

The Huyton Firm's operations primarily centred on drug trafficking, but they were also involved in blackmail, extortion, and violent attacks. One of the gang's most notable incidents occurred in May 2020, when a stash house in West Derby, Liverpool, was raided by rival criminals who stole around 30 kilograms of cocaine, valued at over £1 million. In response, Vincent Coggins ordered violent retaliation against those he suspected of orchestrating the theft, including plans for gun and grenade attacks.