Members of an organised criminal gang have been jailed for a total of 30 years for drug supply offences following a £1m seizure of heroin, crack and cocaine.
The five men and one woman were convicted as part of Operation Impact - a complex investigation by Cheshire Constabulary centred on Ellesmere Port .
Four of the men were previously convicted and sentenced.
Defendants Michael Jones 37, from Ellesmere Port, and Toni Cashmore 31, from Ellesmere Port, were the final gang members to be sentenced at Chester Crown Court on (Monday, March 20).
Some of the defendants were arrested during a ‘strike phase’ in late September 2016 when warrants were executed at a number of properties in the town. A total of 30 officers from across the force assisted Cheshire’s Task Force in the raids.
This was the culmination of four months’ hard work and evidence-gathering by a dedicated team of officers, focusing on the activities of the gang, which involved in the large-scale distribution of class A and B drugs in Ellesmere Port and surrounding areas.
Jones was the ringleader who used his car repair business as a cover for the supply of illegal drugs across the North West.
He had previously pleaded guilty to conspiring with others to supply heroin, crack cocaine and cocaine following four separate seizures of significant quantities of class A drugs by the investigation team in summer 2016. Jones was sentenced to a total of 12 years.
Cashmore was responsible for storing and preparing significant quantities of drugs on behalf of Michael Jones. Having previously pleaded guilty to conspiring to supplying heroin and crack cocaine, she was handed a two year suspended sentence. A quantity of class A drugs were recovered from her home.
Peter Murray, from Ellesmere Port, previously pleaded guilty to possession of class A drugs with intent to supply and received five years in prison. He acted as a courier but was arrested after being stopped on the M6 southbound at Cannock when he was found in possession of 5kg of cocaine – the drugs had come from Michael Jones’ business premises.
Andrew Hewett, from Ellesmere Port, worked as a ‘trusted runner’ but was arrested last August following a pre-planned strike on his vehicle at the Holiday Inn, Ellesmere Port. He previously pleaded guilty to possession of class A drugs with Intent to supply and was jailed for three-and-a-half years.
Steven Day, from Ellesmere Port, was a local street dealer distributing class A drugs to users in the town. He received a three-and-a-half year jail term after previously pleading guilty to possession of class A drugs with intent to supply, following his arrest on July 19, 2016.
Daniel Knight, from Ellesmere Port, also previously pleaded guilty to offering to supply heroin and crack cocaine and was sentenced to three years and nine months. He was arrested following a stop check in May, 2016.
Following the four separate seizures, the drugs were analysed and confirmed as heroin, crack cocaine and cocaine of an estimated street value in excess of £1 million.
At the conclusion of the investigation, a total of 12 vehicles were seized.
Detectives worked with local officers and Chester West and Chester Council to evict the business belonging to Michael Jones from Meadow Lane Industrial Estate.
Chief Inspector Simon Draco said: “Michael Jones and his associates have been collectively jailed for a total of 30 years. The members of this organised crime gang brought misery, fear and intimidation to the streets of Ellesmere Port. The sentences handed down reflect the severity of their crimes and the significant impact their behaviour had on local people.
“A dedicated team of officers have spent hours securing evidence as part of this complex case to ensure that those involved were brought to justice.
“Cheshire Constabulary is committed to tackling organised crime and drug supply. Organised crime blights local communities and residents can rest assured that our efforts will continue. The successful conclusion of this case has resulted in a number of individuals being taken off the streets for a very long time.”
Cheshire police and crime commissioner, David Keane, said: “Having seen the threat posed by organised criminal gangs to our communities I would like to thank all of the officers and staff involved in the operation for the dedication and commitment they have shown. I would like to assure the people of Cheshire that this type of action will continue as the constabulary works to make our communities safer.”
