Drugs gang jailed for total of 54 years

Nine men have been jailed for a total of more than 54 years after Greater Manchester Police smashed a £1m drugs gang.

On Wednesday 10 October 2012, officers executed 13 drugs warrants at addresses across Stockport, including Cheadle, Heaton Norris, Heaton Moor and Bredbury and one in North Wales.

The warrants were the culmination of a year-long operation that resulted in officers recovering more than seven kilos of cocaine, with an estimated street value of £681,402 and £531,356 in cash.

The following pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply cocaine: David Smith (13/07/1971), of Shirley Grove, Gary Cantwell (28/05/1962), of Churchill Street, Craig Ryder (26/09/1984), of Dundonald Street, Scott Whelan (11/04/1985), of Lynn Walk , Dixie Dean (30/11/1987), of Hillgate, Chris Clayton (07/08/1984), of Belmont Street , Keiran Murray (16/08/1986), of Candleford Place , Trevor Whitehead (22/4/61), of Douglas Road and Philip James (21/06/1978), of Close, Stockport. Smith also admitted money laundering.

On Tuesday 28 May 2013, at Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court they received the following sentences: Smith was sentenced to 11 years in prison, Ryder, Whelan, James and Cantwell were jailed for six and a half years, Dean for six years, Murray for four and a half years, Clayton for four years and Whitehead for three years.

All nine were members of an organised crime gang (OCG) responsible for the supply of class A drugs across Stockport that was headed up by David Smith, who has amassed assets in property and bank accounts worth more than £1million from his criminal enterprise.

As the key man of the operation, Smith would source high purity cocaine in kilo amounts that would then, through a network of safe houses, be adulterated, packaged and ultimately delivered to street dealers and abusers through a well organised network of mobile couriers.

The drugs would be cut with the mixing agent Benzocaine in an effort to maximise profits. James and latterly Dean, would look after, mix and prepare the cocaine for sale. Cantwell and Ryder acted as couriers and transported drugs and cash around.

Once the drugs had been mixed and prepared for sale, individual "dealer packs" were provided to the street dealers - Cantwell, Whelan, Ryder, Murray and Clayton - who would then collect the money which was then given to Smith.

Whitehead would store some of Smith’s cash and would also press the drugs into hard blocks.

Detective Inspector Steve Earnshaw, of GMP’s Serious Organised Crime Group, said: “Over the course of several months we pursued these men with a dogged determination to unravel their activities and establish who the main runners and riders were.

“David Smith was clearly at the top of the tree, operating the others from above like a set of marionettes that he had at his beck and call to do his dirty work for him.

“They were dealing in large quantities of drugs and cash. The stakes that they were playing for brought them high rewards but they now realise that the consequences too are high.

“Dealing drugs in any quantity carries significant risks if caught, but when we look at the size of this operation it is only right that the sentences reflect what was a million pound enterprise.

“I must reserve special credit for the investigating officers who presented such overwhelming evidence for what was an extremely complex investigation that all nine men had no other option but to admit their guilt.

"Now the criminal process is over we will be using the laws available to us to strip Smith of any and all the assets accumulated from his illegal endeavours.

“Cocaine abuse, like other drug abuse, is a major factor in a lot other acquisitive crime such as theft, burglary and robbery, which people turn to in order to feed their habits.

“It is also a factor in violent crime, fuels gang violence and organised crime and in real terms can and does impact on the day to day lives of local residents.

“Smith and people of his ilk are not bothered about this. They are not bothered about the effect the drug has on individuals, the effect it has on the community at large or the victims of crime the abuse leads too.

“Their only focus is money and affording the kind of lifestyle many only dream about.

“By removing groups like Smith's, and by using POCA legislation, we are helping prevent the supply of drugs which ultimately makes our streets a safer place to live.”