Dealer imported crystal meth as 'weight loss shakes'

Police found images of Davante James pretending to eat wads of cash

Several members of a Nottingham drugs gang have been jailed after UK and US authorities seized crystal meth worth more than £7m.

The ringleader, boxing coach Davante James, flaunted his wealth and luxury holidays on social media.

Another man used his job at a pharmaceuticals firm to create customs labels for legitimate items such as weight loss shakes.

More than 70 parcels were sent to different homes across Nottinghamshire and further afield, after residents agreed to accept online shopping deliveries as "a favour".

Crystal meth worth over £7m was seized

Nottingham Crown Court heard James ran the UK end of an international operation that imported several hundred kilos of illegal drugs from the USA.

He posed for photos holding Rolex watches and expensive cigars, and pretending to eat wads of banknotes.

Samuel Skinner KC, prosecuting, said James lived a "lavish lifestyle" and sent one message boasting of having £100,000 in cash.

Nottinghamshire Police said his drugs operation funded trips to destinations including Thailand, Dubai, and Central America.

Davante James splashed out on luxury holidays all over the world

James ran the Nottingham gang with Rakeem Thomas, Lemar Taylor and Kian Raymond, and held meetings with an unidentified ringleader in the Middle East.

Det Insp Ian Smith says the police investigation led to Nottinghamshire's largest-ever seizure of crystal meth, which is highly-addictive.

"The scales involved are huge," he told the BBC.

"The intention was not only to flood this drug into Nottinghamshire - that hasn't currently got a particular issue with crystal meth - but also more widely across the region.

"They were travelling to some incredible places across the globe, just bragging and showing 'these are the trappings of my criminality, look how clever I am, I'm not going to get caught'."

James flaunted his collection of designer watches

Most of the 71 intercepted parcels were shipped to the UK as weight loss powder. Others were labelled as furniture, clothing and motorcycle helmets.

They were sent to scores of addresses across Nottinghamshire and as far afield as Peterborough and Stoke-on-Trent to avoid raising suspicions.

Det Insp Smith says the gang persuaded people to accept online shopping deliveries for items such as expensive trainers.

"We were seeing things like 'Can you take a parcel? They can't be delivered, I'm out'," he said.

"That was a recurring theme where people were asked to do a good deed, to do a favour."

Det Insp Ian Smith led the investigation

The gang used an insider at the London office of a pharmaceuticals firm to evade border checks and make their parcels look legitimate.

The court heard that Jesse Kolo, an office manager at Perrigo, used the firm's courier accounts to create fake shipping labels.

Samuel Skinner KC said Kolo was also involved in exporting cocaine out of the UK, and lived a double life at the company.

"Everybody liked him. To his employers nothing was too much trouble for him," he said.

"In reality he was not a good employee who abused the trust of his employers to provide cover for a drugs operation."

Police found this photo of a table covered in wads of cash

The 18-month investigation began after a parcel labelled as "weight loss shake" was intercepted at Stansted Airport.

That contained 900g of crystal meth and 2kg of cannabis.

Further seizures uncovered more than £7m worth of crystal meth and £70,000 worth of cannabis.

Det Insp Smith says Nottinghamshire Police worked closely with the UK Border Force, the US embassy and Australian border officials.

Davante James posed for the camera holding wads of cash

The sentencing judge, Steven Coupland, said the operation involved "some sophistication" and all defendants were involved "in some way".

He said: "What you each got involved in was an operation that imported drugs. Drugs ruin lives. Each of your lives have already been ruined by drugs.

"The supply spreads that misery and leads to addiction, debt, and further offending. It has a significant impact on communities."

Davante James lived the high life

The judge told Devante James he played a leading role as "an important link" between the Nottingham gang and others in Dubai.

In mitigation, Davante James was described in court as a 'role model and mentor' who was of 'previous good character'.

Judge Coupland was told James was a boxing coach who helped keep young people in Nottingham "on the right path", and was heavily involved in a number of other community causes and charities.

Rakeem Thomas, Davante James, Lavontie Cameron, Jesse Kolo, Lemar Taylor and Kyiem Raymond have all been handed jail terms

James, 29, of Edingley Avenue, Nottingham, was sentenced to 17 years imprisonment, while co-defendent Rakeem Thomas, 28, of HMP Nottingham, was jailed for 11-and-a-half years for his "significant role" in the organisation.

Lemar Taylor, 32, of HMP Fosse Way, was jailed for seven-and-a-half years, Kyiem Raymond, 27, of HMP Ranby, was jailed for 45 months, and Lavontie Cameron, 26, of Kelvedon Gardens, Nottingham, was handed a 38-month sentence.

Jabari Smith, 30, of Ballerat Crescent, Nottingham, was told to carry out 80 hours of unpaid work, while Bryoni Hajman, 25, of Church Road, Clipstone, Mansfield, was ordered to carry out 50 hours of unpaid work.

Taisha Chalmers, 29, of Brayton Crescent, Nottingham, will attend 10 rehabilitation days.

Jesse Kolo, 38, of Daybrook Close, Dagenham, who had worked at the pharmaceuticals firm, was jailed for five years and four months for his part in the export of cocaine.

The police also seized cannabis