Drug gang jailed after police seize 10kg of cocaine

Police raided a Gorleston-on-Sea property and found large quantities of high-purity cocaine

Six members of an organised crime gang have been jailed after police seized cocaine with a street value of more than £1.3m.

Police raided their distribution centre at Gorleston-on-Sea, Norfolk, uncovering 10kg (22lb) of the drug. More was found later at remote "stash sites".

Ashley Youngman, 34, of Cliff Hill, Gorleston, admitted being concerned in the supply of cocaine and was sentenced to eight years and six months.

Five other men were sentenced after pleading guilty to various drugs charges at the same hearing at Norwich Crown Court on Monday.

Ashley Youngman and Hayder Gilgil were both jailed for their involvement in the gang

They were:

• Hayder Gilgil, 20, of Anchor Court, Great Yarmouth, who pleaded guilty to two counts of being concerned in the supply of Class A drugs - jailed for four years

• Dominic Wilkins, 25, of South Quay, Great Yarmouth, admitted two charges of being concerned in the supply of class A drugs - jailed for six years

• Ben French, 49, of Fritton Close, Lowestoft, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to supply cocaine - jailed for three years

• Joe Drysdale, 31, of Anchor Court, Great Yarmouth, admitted two counts of being concerned in the supply of class A drugs - jailed for three-and-a-half years

• Michael Rushmer, 34, of Low Road, Norwich, pleaded guilty to one charge of possessing class A drugs with intent - jailed for two years and eight months

The men were arrested as part Operation Accent, which ran from March to August 2024.

Dominic Wilkins and Ben French admitted the charges against them

Officers raided a property at John Road in Gorleston, finding 10kg of high-purity cocaine.

Norfolk Police said its investigation also uncovered quantities of the drug with a street value of hundreds of thousands of pounds at the "stash sites" - remote rural locations used to conceal it.

Joe Drysdale and Michael Rushmer also admitted the charges they faced

Det Sgt Eddie Hammond said: "This exhaustive and complex investigation has resulted in huge quantities of class A drugs being removed from the streets of Norfolk.

"We hope the sentences handed down today send a clear and unequivocal message: that those involved in the supply of illegal drugs in Norfolk will be relentlessly pursued and that we remain committed to disrupting criminal networks and ensuring offenders are brought before the courts."

A seventh member of the gang, Mark Kane, 43, of St Andrew's Street, Great Yarmouth, pleaded guilty to one charge each of being concerned in the supply of Class A drugs and conspiracy to supply Class A drugs.

He will be sentenced at the same court on 21 November.

A huge haul of class A drugs was seized as part of the operation run by Norfolk Police's Serious Organised Crime Unit