Drugs gang who wanted to put £1m of cocaine on to Notts streets jailed for 100 years

The men were part of two organised crime groups which trafficked the class A drug between Lincolnshire and the West Midlands, including an estimated 17 kilograms of cocaine between January 1, 2019 and January 27, 2020.

During warrants executed at properties across Nottinghamshire, Lincolnshire, Warwickshire and the West Midlands, specialist search teams seized 2.086kg of uncut cocaine which had a street value of up to £209,000.

Officers also uncovered evidence of lavish lifestyles with receipts for a staggering £266,225 of goods, including luxury clothing still in boxes, which had been purchased at stores in London, Paris, Copenhagen, encrypted mobile phones, and £29,540 of cash.

The warrants were executed in January 2020.

The investigation revealed how the OCG from Lincolnshire sourced the class A drugs from a Coventry-based OCG, with couriers making frequent trips to the Coventry area for exchanges to take place.

Drug buys also took place in a rural area near to Stanton-on-the-Wolds in Nottinghamshire.

Operation

The operation was uncovered by detectives and investigators from Lincolnshire Police and the East Midlands serious organised crime onit.

Three of those sentenced – Robert Diaz, aged 42, of Waddington, Lincolnshire, 60-year-old Barry Knight, of Bedworth, Warwickshire, and Stephen Oliver, 44, of Rugby, Warwickshire, stood trial at Nottingham Crown Court in August.

A further seven men had already admitted other charges related to their part in the conspiracy, which also included the production of cannabis.

The other men sentenced were: Edward Wivell, 41, of Lincoln, 40-year-old Andrew Turner, of Coventry, Joseph McCluskey, 43, of Coventry, 50-year-old Jon Moreton, Stuart Bassett-Hawcock, 34, of Lincoln, Jack Constable, 34, of Foxhall Road, Nottingham, and Michael Kershaw, 41, of Coventry.

Assistant Chief Constable Kerrin Wilson, of Lincolnshire Police, said: “We are determined to tackle the scourge of drugs which blights the lives of many across society, and thanks to the hard work of the investigation team, organised crime gangs which push these drugs have been dealt a swift and powerful blow to their operations.”

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