Brian Wright, 73, was known asThe Milkman, because his pipeline from Colombia “would always deliver” – until he was sentenced to a 30-year jail term in 2007. Officers believed he would serve a full term but Wright was released from top-security Whitemoor Prison, in Cambridgeshire, on April 14 and the Sunday Express has learned he faces deportation to his native Ireland. A source said the Home Office has already begun the process to remove him from the country.

A Home Office spokeswoman said: “The deportation of Irish nationals is only considered in exceptional circumstances. Deportation may be considered where an offence involves national security matters or crimes that pose a serious risk to the safety of the public.”

Dismayed ex-detectives say deportation is unlikely to stop him getting back into the drugs trade despite his age.

Wright is estimated to have built up around £600million yet was forced to pay back just £2.3million through proceeds-of-crime action.

Retired Met Police DCI Dave McKelvey, who was involved in surveillance of the money laundering side of the drugs ring that Wright headed, is amazed he is now free.

Mr McKelvey said: “Wright was prolific with importation. He won’t stop. I have no doubt he will just start up again.”

He said that officers “never got anywhere near his money”.

Mr McKelvey said that serving 15 years in prison – two of them on remand – would not necessarily have lost Wright all his contacts, as serious criminals continue to forge networks while inside.

Mr McKelvey added: “Wright would have the money to start off buying five or 10 kilos and would be straight back up and running.

“It’s ridiculous for the courts to say ‘you are going to prison for 30 years’ and then they come out after 15.

“For serious offences like this, it’s time criminals served the full sentence.”

Frank Matthews is the online pseudonym of a former Met Police DS also involved in investigations into Wright.

He said of his release: “The recovery of assets is woefully inadequate. No government-funded agency can match the opposition. Having targeted him myself, I can say Brian Wright was one of the main players and, from recollection, he still has the money.”

Wright, one of nine children, moved to England from Ireland aged 12, growing up in Kilburn, north-west London.

In the Nineties, he dealt directly with Colombian cartels. In 1998 his gang is thought to have imported almost two tons of cocaine brought into the country on yachts. HMRC seized a ton ‘Freeing him now is ridiculous’ of cannabis on board one yacht during the probe.

A heavy gambler, Wright bribed jockeys to rig horse races which he then placed bets of £50,000 or more on to clean up the money.

Cash was also converted into Swiss francs at West End bureau de changes, according to Mr McKelvey.

Wright was not arrested until 2005, when he was tracked down to a base near Malaga with the aid of MI6.

During the 2007 trial at Woolwich Crown Court, Wright’s barrister said: “He knows that he will probably die in jail.”

However,Wright is now believed to be living in a bail hostel.

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