Leeds cocaine gang jailed after £3.8m drugs haul uncovered by detectives
A total of £3.8m worth of cocaine was seized by police during a complex investigation into a Leeds-based organised crime group
Five members of a Leeds-based organised crime group involved in the large-scale supply of cocaine have been jailed following a complex investigation by specialist detectives.
Officers from West Yorkshire Police’s serious and organised crime team seized 45kg of the drug, with a potential street value of £3.8m, when they moved in to arrest key members of the gang in June and August this year.
A total of 25kg of ketamine was also recovered during the operation, along with more than £100,000 in cash.
An investigation revealed the gang had been supplying wholesale quantities of cocaine to other organised crime groups across the UK between January and August.
The five men pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply cocaine and were sentenced at Leeds Crown Court yesterday and today.
Liam Johnson, 29, of no fixed abode, and Arwel Edmunds, 27, of Cross Green Lane, Leeds, were each jailed for 11 years and three months.
Talib Khan, 40, of Thornhill Street, Wakefield, and Peter Ward, 30, of Sycamore Green, Pontefract, were each sentenced to five years and seven months in prison.
Mohammed Muneeb, 18, of St Wilfrids Grove, Leeds, was sentenced to four years and one month.
A sixth man, Mark Beattie, 43, of Layton Lane, Rawdon, Leeds, was arrested as part of the same operation. He was jailed for seven years and six months for a separate conspiracy to supply cocaine in the Huddersfield area between March and May.
Restraint orders totalling more than £1.6m have been put in place in relation to properties owned by people involved in the operation.
Detective Inspector Paul Hutchinson, who led the investigation, said: [original quotes retained unchanged]
“This group were heavily involved in the organised supply of drugs, and the very significant quantities recovered during our investigation show the scale of their criminal enterprise and the profits they would have been making.
“The drugs trade can sometimes be seen as a victimless crime, but the reality is very different. It is the single biggest driver of serious crime in the UK and fuels violence and anti-social behaviour in our communities.
“Around half of all homicides, thefts and robberies are drug-related, and nearly two thirds of those arrested for domestic abuse test positive for drugs.
“Organised crime groups target some of the most vulnerable in society, exploiting them for financial gain, status and criminal influence, while causing significant harm to these individuals and our communities.
“West Yorkshire Police remains firmly committed to taking down those who involve themselves in the organised supply of drugs, and we hope the successful outcome of this investigation will provide some reassurance to the public.”