Bristol man arrested in drugs conspiracy investigation given 19-year jail sentence
A Bristol man who went on the run after being arrested as part of a major drugs conspiracy investigation has been sentenced to nineteen years in prison at Bristol Crown Court today (Friday, April 4).
Christopher Barbosa, 32, formerly of Sea Mills in Bristol, was arrested in May 2020 after officers from the South West Regional Organised Crime Unit (SWROCU) identified him as ‘Kilo-chris’, a key associate of Romaine Hyman, who was sentenced to 26 years in prison in 2022.
Barbosa went on the run, travelling across mainland Europe before being arrested in Paris while trying to continue his journey from Dubai to Barcelona. He spent a year in custody in France, having contested every stage of the extradition process, before being returned to the UK last December.
Evidence from Barbosa’s encrypted phone, where he used the handle ‘Kilo-chris’, showed he purchased at least 46 kilograms of cocaine from Bath-based Hyman at a cost of over £1.5 million in just two months.
He also bought at least 20kg of cocaine from the Wiltshire-based Allison brothers, who were jailed in February as part of a separate £7m drugs conspiracy investigation, and 3kg from North Somerset man Alex Male, who was jailed last December for 18 years and who also went on the run.
Barbosa used Robert Dent’s home in Knowle West as a safe house, with James Hele as a courier. Dent and Hele were jailed in 2023 for 12 years and 11 years respectively.
DCI Adam Smith from SWROCU said: “Barbosa was very well connected to other serious criminals who were collectively making huge profits out of supplying class A drugs onto our streets.
“We’ve already seen others, including his suppliers and those who worked for him, receive significant jail time. Now it’s his turn.
“Barbosa kept a low profile, letting others run the risk of storing and distributing drugs and money under his instruction. He’ll have seen the sentences they’ve received while on the run.
“We all know the huge harm caused by the business they’re in and the youth violence and exploitation it fuels. Cases like this show the absolute determination of our unit, together with our regional forces, to target those causing the most harm.”
Ruona Iguyovwe, Senior Specialist Prosecutor for the Crown Prosecution Service, said: “Barbosa had a significant role in a sophisticated operation which supplied Class A drugs across the South West, handling over 66 kilograms of cocaine worth millions of pounds.
“Despite his attempts to evade justice by hiding behind encrypted technology and fleeing abroad, the Crown Prosecution Service, including our International Unit, worked closely with law enforcement and international partners to secure his extradition, build a strong case and bring him to justice.
“This case sends a clear message that we will pursue criminals wherever they go – there is nowhere to hide. Organised crime and illegal drugs bring misery and harm to our communities, and we will work tirelessly to help dismantle these criminal networks.
“We will be pursuing confiscation proceedings against Barbosa to recover the proceeds of his crimes.”
Barbosa pleaded guilty on 25 January this year to three counts of conspiracy to supply class A (cocaine, heroin and crack cocaine); conspiracy to conceal, disguise, transfer or remove criminal property; and acquiring criminal property.