Collaborative Op Seizes £4m Cannabis Haul
Two forces have been praised for delivering a sound operational result after a collaborative operation netted a gang who sold cannabis on an industrial scale.
Two forces have been praised for delivering a sound operational result after a collaborative operation netted a gang who sold cannabis on an industrial scale.
A court was told Warwickshire Police and West Mercia Police officers jointly executed a search warrant at a storage unit in Reddich in April last year - where they discovered more than 470kg of cannabis resin and leaf.
They also targeted two vans - one in Redditch was loaded with 390kg of the drug and the other - travelling on the M40 - contained a further 180kg.
Warwick Crown Court was told that more than ton of illegal substances had been seized during the ops - and that the street value would have been more than £4 million.
Malcolm Ray Masters (52) of Fulbrook Close, Redditch pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply cannabis and possession of ammunition. He was jailed for seven years and six months for the drugs offences and six months to run consecutively for the firearms matter.
Keith Patrick Langton (30) of Goodrich Close, Redditch, was handed a four-year custodial term and 27-year-old James Michael Pratt of Wolverston Road, received a two-year sentence. Both admitted conspiracy to supply cannabis.
Arvinder Singh Brar (36) of Repton Avenue, Hayes, Middlesex and Brian Randall (59) of Woodside Avenue, Benfleet in Essex, had both denied conspiring to supply offences but were found guilty. They were both jailed for three years.
Speaking after sentencing, DCI Andrew Nolan, spokesman for the joint operation, said: "This was an investigation into the large scale supply of cannabis impacting on various parts of the country.
"Both Warwickshire and West Mercia Police worked together to disrupt the perpetrators of this significant supply offence. We will continue to robustly proactively target criminals of this kind and remove the profits of their criminality."
http://www.policeoracle.com 2/09/2012
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