Exeter drugs gang jailed

Members of an Exeter drugs gang, intent on flooding the streets of the South West with amphetamines, have today been jailed for more than 18 years.

Bret Seldon, Shaun Greenham, Marc Smith and Gary Turley, all from Exeter, plus Richard Armitage from Holsworthy were sentenced to a total of 18 years and 10 months imprisonment by Exeter Crown Court.

The five men were all convicted of conspiracy to supply amphetamine and Armitage and Turley were also charged with conspiracy to supply cannabis.

Seldon (also known as Bret Burgess), aged 33, of Briar Crescent, Exeter, and Armitage, 33, of Week St Mary, Holsworthy, were both jailed for five years and three months.

Smith, 30, also of Briar Crescent, Exeter, was sentenced to three years and three months. Turley, 55, of Fullers Court, Exeter, and Greenham, 33, of Wonford Street, Exeter, will both serve 30 months.

A sixth man, Richard Evans, 47, of High Street, Newton Poppleford, was today convicted of conspiracy to supply amphetamine and will be sentenced at a later date.

Today’s sentences follow a successful covert policing operation undertaken by Zephyr anti-crime unit and Devon and Cornwall Police.

In July 2014 Richard Evans and Shaun Greenham were observed conducting a drugs exchange on Topsham Road in Exeter. Soon after this the Zephyr unit who target organised crime, executed a warrant at a property on Briar Crescent, Exeter, where Smith, Seldon and Greenham were all caught in the act of mixing the drugs and were subsequently arrested.

Detective Sergeant Rob Youngman, from Zephyr South Operations unit, said: “The valuation of the drugs, when mixed, exceeded £150,000 and as disclosed in the court this was one of many consignments arranged and dealt onto the streets of Exeter.”

Following this seizure, a series of warrants were conducted around the gang leading to the recovery of cannabis, mixing agents, a vacuum packing machine and mobile phones belonging to the core group based in Exeter. The arrests of Richard Evans, Gary Turley and Richard Armitage soon followed.

DS Youngman added: “Seldon and Armitage were controlling the commercial supply of drugs from Liverpool and Slough and did so to fund their lavish lifestyles, which included high performance vehicles, clothing, gadgets and gambling. They were organising the mixing of drugs to maximise their profit and would use others to sell these drugs.

“Each member convicted held a trusted role and were responsible for certain aspects of the operation in an attempt to evade law enforcement.”

“This is the second phase of this operation which has already seen significant drug seizures and convictions from the Weston-Super-Mare element of the operation and has substantially met our objectives of destroying this organised crime group, and reducing the harm they cause to our local communities.

"During this intervention phase Zephyr were supported by local policing teams from Devon and Cornwall Police, who were able to provide us with valuable resources and community intelligence at critical times, and we are grateful for their support throughout.”

As well as substantial prison sentences, a number of the gang/each gang member will be subject of applications for Serious Crime Prevention Orders which means that after they are released from prison, they will be monitored to ensure they don’t re-enter the drugs trade.

DS Youngman added: “This has been a lengthy investigation, however the sentencing demonstrates the thoroughness of the investigation and how the full resources of Zephyr and local policing will be utilised to bring offenders to justice.”

Pictured, top row, left to right: Bret Seldon, Richard Armitage, Shaun Greenham; bottom left to right: Gary Turley and Marc Smith. Other pictures show the drug mixing operation and amphetamine found in a freezer.