Men jailed after Dutch drugs worth millions seized in Notts
Ninety-seven litres of liquid amphetamine was seized by officers from the East Midlands Special Operations Unit (EMSOU) in June 2015.
The find was a result of a vehicle interception at junction 27 of the M1, in Annesley, Nottinghamshire, where the drug was being transported in the rear of a van concealed inside ten tins of varnish.
Driver Lee Hill was arrested at the scene.
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Hide AdThe drugs, estimated to have a street value of £5.5 million, were traced back to Holland.
Edward Rooney and Mir Baz were subsequently identified as being responsible for the importation and arrested.
Shane Bird, who had been recruited as a ‘fixer’ to arrange a chemist to convert the liquid amphetamine and as a courier to transport the drugs, was also detained.
Hill’s job was to collect and convert it from liquid to powder form.
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Hide AdAt a previous hearing Rooney and Baz pleaded guilty to conspiracy to import Class B drugs to the UK. Hill pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply Class B drugs.
Following a trial Bird was found guilty of conspiracy to supply Class B drugs.
On Tuesday 9 May 2016, at Derby Crown Court, the men received the following sentences:
Edward Rooney, aged 53, of Bestwood Road, in Bulwell, Nottingham, jailed for 10 years.
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Hide AdMir Baz, aged 44, of Ferrar Lane in Oulton, Leeds, jailed for seven years and four months.
Shane Bird, aged 48, Woodborough Road, in Mapperley, Nottingham, jailed for eight years and six months.
Lee Hill, aged 41, of Lynncroft, in Eastwood, Nottinghamshire, jailed for six years.
Detective Inspector Keith Priest, of EMSOU, said: “These convictions are the result of an in-depth inquiry into international drugs trafficking, which spanned a number of months.
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Hide Ad“The hard work of the officers involved has not only put a major dent into the operations of this particular organised crime group, but also prevented a significant amount of drugs from reaching the streets of Nottinghamshire.”