Baby-faced mastermind who ran huge drug smuggling ring with glam gangster’s moll – before £20m empire came crashing down

THIS is the baby-faced kingpin who masterminded a drug smuggling ring with his glam girlfriend - before their £20million empire collapsed.

Eddie Burton, 23, and Sian Banks, 25, orchestrated two large-scale drug imports as the pair conspired to flood the UK with heroin, cocaine and ketamine.

Border Force officials stopped two lorries in the summer of 2022 containing 307 kilos of drugs with a street value of £20million.

A huge manhunt was launched for Burton, whose DNA was found on the smuggled goods.

Cops managed to track the criminal to party island Ibiza where he was arrested in Pacha nightclub.

He and Banks are facing years in jail after pleading guilty to a number of drug offences.

It can now be revealed that Burton's life of crime started when he was just a freckled youngster.

The crook was dealing drugs on the streets of Liverpool from the age of just ten.

Burton's family and friends told the the gangster was a "tearaway" from a young age.

His gran said: "He was a bit of a young tearaway. I think he was selling drugs. So it's not that surprising what's happened to him."

While wannabe influencer Banks was no stranger to crime herself - carrying out illegal activity to fund a luxury lifestyle.

Her social media pictures reveal a lavish way of life - from yacht parties to glamorous nights out.

Although the couple have now split, text messages recovered by police show their connection while running the drug empire.

She also made monthly trips to see Burton in Spain and the Netherlands where he split his time between June 2022 and October 2023.

Banks flew out to the Netherlands in June 2022 to visit Burton and helped prepare the first shipment of drugs.

Concerned, she messaged Burton about her fingerprints being on the bags of ketamine.

Her criminal lover replied: "You've never been nicked or had ye prints took anyway so doesn't matter."

On July 3, 2022, Border Force officials intercepted a lorry at Dover, Kent, containing 90 kilos of ketamine and 50 kilos of cocaine packed into boxes and a Lidl shopping bag.

Then on August 12, a second lorry containing 142 kilos of cocaine and 25 kilos of heroin in a fuel tank that had been modified to conceal the drugs was discovered.

Forensics found Burton's fingerprints and DNA on both drug consignments, and the adapted fuel tank.

Burton, who was using an alias, was arrested by Spanish police a year later on unrelated drug charges.

He was extradited to Germany before being returned to the UK in March 2024 where he admitted four counts of importing Class A and B drugs.

Banks pleaded guilty to seven charges - including importing Class A drugs and money laundering.

The pair will be sentenced at Canterbury Crown Court on February 11.

NCA Branch Commander John Turner said: "Burton, with Banks' help, attempted to smuggle huge quantities of harmful drugs into the UK, believing he could operate with impunity overseas.

"Banks held a crucial role in the criminal enterprise, laundering the illicit profits and acting as the UK-based facilitator for the multi-million pound drug importations.

"The drugs, had they reached their final destination, would have had a destructive impact on our communities, fuelling violence and exploiting vulnerable people throughout the supply chain."