Drugs gang jailed for 140 years
An organised crime group bringing class-A drugs from Liverpool to Devon have been sentenced to 140 years in prison at Exeter Crown Court today (Thursday 23rd July).
Nineteen people in total have been sentenced for conspiracy to supply class-A controlled drugs. 17 pleaded guilty with the remaining two found guilty following trial at Exeter Crown Court in March.
Throughout 12-month long Operation Reform, heroin and cocaine with an estimated street value of £1.25 million and cash in excess of £91,500 was intercepted.
Sentences:
Daniel Smith, 29 from Paignton 13 years and 4 months in prison
Thomas Kehoe, 26 from Liverpool 12 years and 3 months in prison
Kevin Deary, 28 from Torquay 9 years and 3 months in prison
Paul Fagan, 32 from Paignton 10 years in prison
Andrew Cleland, 41 from Torquay 10 years in prison
Robert Murphy, 33 from Brixham 7 years and 6 months in prison
Ian Ross, 37 from Paignton 6 years and 8 months in prison
Mark Worrall, 51 from Brixham 2 years and 2 months in prison
Neil Cupit, 30 from Stokeinteignhead 8 years in prison
John Cupit, 32 from Liverpool 6 years in prison
Drug couriers:
Jordan Caldwell, 27 from Liverpool 6 years in prison
Donald Macaskill, 56 from Liverpool 9 years and 4 months in prison
John Wilson, 49 from Liverpool 10 years in prison
Michael Griffith, 43 from Wolverhampton 6 years and 8 months in prison
John Fagan, 42 from Liverpool 4 years in prison
Paul Wade, 41from Liverpool 2 years and 8 months in prison
Lee Sumner, 37 from Liverpool 6 years and 8 months in prison
Ashley Tierney, 28 from Paignton 5 years and 10 months in prison
Jordan Taylor, 20 from Paignton 3 years and 4 months in prison
The organised crime group based in Liverpool were found to be transporting heroin and cocaine to locations in Devon including Paignton, Torquay and Plymouth. In response to this, Operation Reform was set up in December 2013 to detect, disrupt and reduce the trafficking of heroin within Devon and Cornwall, and to catch the offenders involved and bring them to justice.
The principal of the operation was Daniel Smith originally from Liverpool who was living in Paignton whilst maintaining his connections in the North-West. Smith was supported by Paul Fagan as they headed up the operation in Torbay, with Thomas Kehoe and Kevin Deary controlling the operation from Liverpool. Robert Murphy was a trusted lieutenant and Andrew Cleland acted as the stash man.
Smith, Kehoe and Deary were instrumental in organising the supply of the drugs, moving their men and resources around the country to ensure that the operation ran smoothly.
Brothers Neil and John Cupit played a major part in the conspiracy. John at the Liverpool end distributing the drugs for Kehoe and Neil organising the storing and distribution of the drugs within Devon.
Many of these men had no obvious sources of income, yet enjoyed lavish lifestyles from their role in the drug trade.
Ian Ross played a major part in drug dealing within Torbay, and Mark Worrall was employed as a stash man, to store and hide the drugs on behalf of the gang after Cleland was arrested.
The gang used a number of men to courier drugs and money between Liverpool and the South West. Jordan Caldwell, Donald Macaskill, John Wilson, Michael Griffith, John Fagan, Paul Wade, Lee Sumner, Ashley Tierney and Jordan Taylor all acted as couriers at times throughout the course of the operation.
Following the sentencing, the judge commended the officer in the case, Detective Constable Paul Dorothy, and the investigation team comprising of Andy Glanville, Chris Louca, Jason Braund and Jim Spencer.
Detective Constable Paul Dorothy the officer in the case from the Serious and Organised Crime Investigation Team said: “This is an excellent result and another example that Devon and Cornwall isn’t a soft touch for drug gangs.
"We worked closely with the Crown Prosecution Service and colleagues at Merseyside Police, Police Scotland and Manchester Police throughout this operation to help bring this organised crime group to its knees and to help remove class-A drugs from the streets of Devon and Cornwall.
“With the aid of surveillance work and analytical work of mobile phone data, we managed to link a total of 48 courier runs from the Liverpool to Devon.
“We then successfully foiled a number of deliveries and seized in the region of 13 kilos of class-A drugs with a street value of £1.25 million and over £91,500 worth of cash.
“Examples of the types of arrest made include that of Worrall who was carrying over 1kg of heroin after meeting a courier in Brixham. Ross and Caldwell, stopped in Goodrington exchanging heroin and cash amounting £38,675 and Macaskill and Wilson stopped in Scotland transporting heroin and adulterants totalling 5.5kilos with a street value of £385,000.
“A number of warrants were executed simultaneously in October at addresses in Warrington, Liverpool and Torbay. As more people were arrested, the more desperate the gang became and once they had no-one else to turn to, senior members of the gang including Neil Cupit and Thomas Kehoe were forced to do the dirty work themselves.
“We arrested Cupit in December in possession of nearly half a kilo of Heroin with a street value of £50,000 and found £6,700 in Thomas Kehoe’s property in Liverpool with the fingerprints of a Torquay drug dealer thereon.
“We are pleased with the sentences given out to this gang by the court, and we hope that this will act as a deterrent. This result shows that the police will work tirelessly to protect our public and the most vulnerable from becoming victims of drugs misuse, and if you choose to get involved with the drug trade, you will be caught, and you will face substantial jail terms.
“I would like to personally thank the Crown Prosecution Service, and partner agencies for their help and assistance in apprehending these offenders.”
