A British drug ring was busted and its members jailed after police found the next best thing to a stool pigeon.
Mango, a pet parrot, became vital evidence through his vocabulary lessons after police arrested multiple members of a drug gang in Blackpool, according to ITV.
Fifteen people in all, including a man who ran a drug dealing operation from prison, were convicted in an investigation that got its big break when cell phones were discovered in the prison cell of Adam Garnett, the ringleader, according to a post from Lancashire police on their website.
From those phones, police were able to identify his contacts, which included Shannon Hilton, Garnett’s girlfriend. Videos found on her phone became important evidence that led to multiple convictions.
Dealer’s talking parrot helps police take down drug ring https://t.co/VXrstkzaSO pic.twitter.com/3CdEf4EqOI
— New York Post (@nypost) August 7, 2025
Bricks of cocaine had cameo roles in videos found on the phone, but the star was Mango.
Video evidence showed Hilton teaching the parrot to say “two for 25,” a British drug phrase, as a child looked on.
Mango was also recorded playing with cash.
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Once police knew whose homes to search, they found drugs, cash, and phones with evidence of activities that took place between February 2023 and July 2024.
Police said that even though Garnett was in prison, he ensured evidence was moved so police could not find it and communicated with almost all members of the gang selling drugs on the outside.
Some video evidence gang members saved was not in their best interest.
For example, one video on the phone of gang member Gareth Burgess showed him carrying a large amount of cash while rapping about his crimes.
“These people ran a sophisticated operation to supply class A drugs across Blackpool,” DS Anthony Alves of the West Targeted Crime Team said.
“Garnett continued to run his operation whilst in prison, communicating with the members of his organized crime gang through illegal methods,” he continued.
“I welcome the sentences handed down today following the lengthy and complex investigation.”
Collectively, police said, the sentences topped 103 years behind bars.
“Successful outcomes like this demonstrate officers’ tireless work to protect the public and show that Lancashire is taking a relentless approach to tackling organized crime,” Clive Grunshaw, Lancashire Police and Crime Commissioner, reacted.
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