Gas man David Bland jailed after 24kg of cannabis to be sold in Hull found in car
JAILED: David Bland was caught transporting cannabis from Felixstowe Docks
JAILED: David Bland was caught transporting cannabis from Felixstowe Docks
A GAS man linked to the smuggling of almost five tonnes of cannabis into the UK has been locked up for four years
David Bland, 46, was caught transporting the class B drug from Felixstowe Docks in Suffolk.
The drugs were destined to be sold on the streets of Hull.
Bland was linked to a year-long drugs operation, which saw 4.6 tonnes of cannabis brought into the country.
He was jailed at the Old Bailey after admitting conspiracy to supply the drug.
Bland, of Kingston Road in Willerby, was caught by police who stopped his silver Nissan Micra on the M11 motorway on October 8, 2013.
Officers found almost 24kg of cannabis in the car.
Addressing Bland in court, Judge Timothy Pontius said: "Your particular role was to take delivery of cannabis in bulk and to oversee and direct it onwards for sale to customers on the street in much smaller quantities.
"You were close to the original source.
"A significant, rather than a leading role, can more appropriately be said to apply here.
"Your motivation was a financial one, with high profits being anticipated to be fulfilled.
"You were plainly tempted, as before, by the opportunity to make far more money by involving yourself in this pernicious trade in large scale drugs supply."
The court heard Bland had been tracked by police and was seen talking on the phone to drug kingpin, Joseph Ashman.
Ashman was jailed for eight years and eight months after he previously admitted the year-long conspiracy, which lasted from December 2012 to January last year.
Bland's tenant George Bell was also jailed for three years and eight months after he was convicted of drugs offences at Nottingham Crown Court last October.
Bland has 19 previous convictions, which relate to 40 offences, dating back to 1981.
He was recently employed by East Riding Gas Services.
Holding all organised criminals to account
THE operation that led to the conviction of David Bland was led by the National Crime Agency (NCA).
A spokesman for the agency said it will relentlessly pursue those involved in the distribution of drugs.
He said: "Drugs destroy communities and the NCA will continue to work in partnership with police forces to ensure organised criminals are always held to account."
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