Police dismantle £6m drugs operation

Six members of the gang, including Jack Ford, Abigail Comerford, John McCallum and James Raith, are due to be sentenced at a later date

A drugs operation in Scunthorpe, which could have netted criminals £6m, has been shut down following a four-year investigation, police said.

Humberside Police said an investigation was launched in 2019 into the activities of an organised crime group at two industrial units on Winterton Road.

Officers said the gang had used the units to produce etizolam tablets - which mimics the effect of diazepam-based drugs like valium but is actually much stronger.

Six members of the gang are due to be sentenced at a later date.

Police seized hundreds of thousands of etizolam tablets, along with fake labelling and machinery

After searching both units, officers discovered a "sophisticated" operation, including industrial rotary tablet machines capable of producing 320,000 tablets per hour.

Police also seized hundreds of thousands of etizolam tablets, along with fake labelling for various controlled drugs, including diazepam.

Officers said the drugs had an estimated street value of £6m.

Lead investigating officer, Det Sgt Chris Grocock, described it as "a highly complex" operation, on an "unprecedented scale".

“The drugs and equipment show the sheer scale of how this group were operating and would have continued to do so, had all six not been arrested and the seizure of drugs not taken place," he added.

Five of the gang changed their pleas to guilty at a hearing at Hull Crown Court in June.

A sixth was convicted following a trial.

Those due to be sentenced are:

• Anthony Florides, 33, of Morley Road, Scunthorpe, was convicted of conspiracy to produce a class C drug and conspiracy to supply a class C drug following a three-week trial

• Jack Ford, 34, of Fairfield Road, Scunthorpe, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to produce a class C drug and conspiracy to supply a class C drug

• Abigail Comerford, 34, of Peacock Street, Scunthorpe, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to produce a class C drug and conspiracy to supply a class C drug

• James Raithby, 29, of Ashby Road, Scunthorpe, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to produce a class C drug and conspiracy to supply a class C drug

• John McCallum, 38, of Glen Bervie, East Kilbride, Glasgow, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply a class C drug

• Luke Jones, 31, of Somerset Walk, Milton Keynes, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to produce a class C drug

Another man was found not guilty of conspiracy to supply Class C drugs following a trial.

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