Liverpool is a beautiful, atmospheric city that attracts a large number of tourists. However, Liverpool also has a darker side. Like other cities in Europe and around the world, it experiences murders, robberies, protests, and the criminal activities of various gangs and factions. Today, we will delve into the history of gangs in Liverpool. Read more about this on liverpoolyes.com.
The History of Gang Formation in Liverpool
Gangs have existed in the city of Liverpool since the early 19th century. These were not only criminal gangs but also political ones. They were all based in and around the city.
In the 1960s and 70s, Liverpool’s gangs specialised in theft and armed robbery. During that period, local ‘families’ controlled all criminal activity. Charlie Seiga was a well-known figure and the leader of one of Liverpool’s earliest gangs. However, Seiga eventually stepped away from his life of crime. Interestingly, in the 60s and 70s, a ‘code’ existed among gangsters: women, children, and pensioners were treated with respect.
Later on, drug addiction began to emerge in society. And it was drug-related crime that started to bring significant profits to gang members. Soon, these gangsters became some of the wealthiest people in the city.
Tommy ‘Tucker’ Comerford was one of the first to develop the international drug trade. In the 1970s, he organised the ‘Liverpool Mafia’. This group of white criminals became not only Britain’s first drug cartel but also the country’s wealthiest criminal organisation.
‘Smack City’
In the 1980s, the press dubbed Liverpool ‘Smack City’. This was because heroin was being actively distributed and organised crime was flourishing. Over time, distribution networks were established for the production of narcotics, as these drugs were in extremely high demand among addicts. Meanwhile, the wealth of the drug lords grew at an astonishing rate. In the 1990s, Curtis Warren became one of the biggest drug barons in the UK and Europe. During this period, a turf war erupted in our city. The year 1996 was particularly grim, with six shootings occurring in just seven days. Merseyside Police were the first to openly carry firearms in the fight against crime. Indeed, in just four years (1997-2001), there were 3,387 firearms offences committed in the Merseyside region.
Famous Liverpool Gangsters and Gangs
- Colin Smith – one of Liverpool’s ‘cocaine kings’. He earned over £200 million from drug sales. Smith was shot and killed with a pump-action shotgun. It should be noted that this was the first Colombian cartel-sanctioned murder on British soil.
- The Huyton Firm – a secretive cartel run by two brothers from the Huyton area of Liverpool. Their activities were not limited to our city but extended abroad.
- The Whitney Gang – another notorious criminal organisation from the Anfield area of Liverpool. Almost all of its members are now imprisoned.
- The Curtis Warren Firm – a cartel also well-known in our country and across Europe. They established direct links with the Cali cartel, and their leader was an Interpol target. Incidentally, his fortune was estimated at £300 million.
It must be mentioned that many tragic events related to gangs have occurred in Liverpool, resulting in the deaths of innocent people. In 2007, a war raged between two rival gangs: the ‘Crocky Crew’ and the ‘Strand Gang’. This sparked a national outcry. In the crossfire, 11-year-old Rhys Jones was killed. He was shot in the back as he was walking home from football practice.
Then, in August 2022, nine-year-old Olivia Pratt-Korbel was shot and killed. The attacker’s target was intended to be a 35-year-old gang member with convictions for drug dealing and burglary. However, an innocent child became the victim.