Two drug gangs jailed over £1.36m Lincolnshire cocaine plot
- Published
The jailed men were members of organised crime gangs in Coventry and Lincolnshire
Ten men have been been jailed for trafficking high purity cocaine between Lincolnshire and the West Midlands.
The men were part of two organised crime gangs which distributed an estimated £1.36m of the Class A drug in one year up to January 2020.
Police raids that month uncovered receipts for luxury goods worth £266,225, which had been bought at stores in London, Paris and Copenhagen.
Officers also found encrypted phones and almost £30,000 in cash.
Police said the gang of men from Lincolnshire bought an estimated 17kg of cocaine from the gang in Coventry.
The drugs were then exchanged in rural areas across the Midlands.
Three of the men - Robert Diaz, Barry Knight and Stephen Oliver - were found guilty following a trial at Lincoln Crown Court in August.
A further seven men had already pleaded guilty to other charges for their part in the conspiracy, including the production of cannabis, police said.
They were all sentenced at Lincoln Crown Court on Wednesday.
Robert Diaz, Barry Knight and Stephen Oliver were found guilty following a trial at Nottingham Crown Court in August
Ass Ch Con Kerrin Wilson, from Lincolnshire Police, said the investigation between themselves and East Midlands Serious Organised Crime Unit had "dealt a swift and powerful blow to their operations".
She said: "Organised criminals prey on users, and their activities can bring with them wider issues of violence and exploitation that goes with drug traffickers.
"We are pleased to see such a good result today, but we are not complacent; we will continue to work hard to safeguard our communities and protect the vulnerable."
The gang members will now face a Proceeds of Crime hearing to recover assets and money amassed through their criminal activity.
Details of the sentences
Robert Diaz, 42 of Maltkiln Lane, Waddington, Lincoln, was sentenced to 19 years after being found guilty of conspiracy to supply Class A drugs.
Barry Knight, 60, of Nuneaton Road, Bulkington, Bedworth, Warwickshire, was jailed for 18 years after being convicted of conspiracy to supply Class A drugs.
Stephen Oliver, 44, of Windsor Street, Rugby, Warwickshire, was found guilty of one count of conspiracy to supply Class A drugs. He previously pleaded guilty to one count of producing cannabis and was sentenced to eight years in prison.
Edward Wivell, 41, of North Parade, Lincoln, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply Class A drugs and was jailed for six years and four months.
Andrew Turner, 40, of Holmcroft, Coventry, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to supply Class A drugs and one count of producing cannabis and failing to provide a pass code for an electronic device. He was sentenced to eight years and eight months.
Joseph McCluskey, 43, of Parkfield Road, Keresley End, Coventry, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply Class A drugs and was jailed for nine years and nine months.
Jon Moreton, 50, of Torbay Road, Coventry, was jailed for 10 years and nine months after pleading guilty to conspiracy to supply Class A drugs.
Stuart Bassett-Hawcock, 34, of Oaklands Close, Lincoln, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply Class A drugs and was sentenced to eight years.
Jack Constable, 34, of Foxhall Road, Nottingham, was jailed for eight years after he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply Class A drugs.
Michael Kershaw, 41, of Florian Way, Coventry, was jailed for seven years and six months after pleading guilty to conspiracy to supply Class A drugs.
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