Scunthorpe drugs gang convicted after police seize illegal tablets worth £6million
An organised gang have been convicted over a conspiracy to produce and distribute £6million of drugs.The five men and one woman were investigated by police in 2019, with enquiries leading detectives to a pair of industrial units on Winterton Road in Scunthorpe, North Lincolnshire.
CCTV showed four of the group carrying large sacks from a vehicle into one of the units, and the following day West Yorkshire Police stopped a van - which detectives linked to the units - on the A1 being driven by a fifth on his way to Scotland.
Officers discovered 14 large sacks in the van which containing yellow and white tablets which were found to contain almost 1.5million tablets containing etizolam, a class C controlled drug.
Etizolam is a synthetic drug which is designed to imitate the effects of benzodiazepines (a class of sedative medication), but is believed to be ten times stronger and has been responsible for an increase in deaths in Scotland.
After searching both units in Winterton Road, officers from Humberside Police discovered a "sophisticated" tablet production unit, including three industrial rotary tablet machines capable of producing 320,000 tablets per hour.
They also found associated packaging machines and over 950kgs of tablets with fake printed labelling of various different controlled drugs, including Diazepam.
Large quantities of white powder were also discovered, including another 416,000 etizolam tablets.
Five of the group pleaded guilty to drugs charges brought at Hull Crown Court last month, with the sixth being found guilty at trial:
• Anthony Florides, 33, of Morley Road, Scunthorpe was found guilty by a jury after a three-week trial of conspiracy to produce a class C drug and conspiracy to supply a class C drug
• 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
Det Sgt Chris Grocock, who led the investigation, said: “This was a lengthy and highly complex investigation, targeting drug production and supply 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.“This investigation should send a clear message, that this type of illegal and harmful activity will not be tolerated and we will do everything we can to put you before the courts.“We recognise the impact drugs have in our communities, and we are absolutely committed to investigating these thoroughly.
"I would continue to encourage anyone with any information that may assist in us building the bigger picture, to please get in touch.”
All six members of the group will be sentenced at a later date.
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