Major UK drug gang jailed

22 May 2008 01:48pm

Five drug dealers, who pocketed millions flooding the country with amphetamines, cannabis, cocaine and ecstasy, have been jailed for up to 14 years each.

The gang - which included an ex-Met police officer imprisoned earlier - smuggled most of the banned substances from Holland and then used a lock-up garage near London as a distribution depot.

Inner London Crown Court heard the operation - headed by a Mr Big too ill to ever stand trial - made millions as orders were delivered across most of southern England and all of Wales. Kenneth Millett, prosecuting, said neither he nor any of his minions suspected police spent six months watching their every move.

Investigators quickly realised those involved were enjoying an "extravagant lifestyle" despite their obvious lack of jobs.

Day-to-day operations chief and "treasurer" Robert Burnell, for example, drove an Audi TT, had wardrobes crammed with designer clothes and paid for everything in cash.

The investigation, codenamed Operation Carbonel, gradually dismantled the gang's lucrative enterprise with a series of swoops across the country.

During the raids, officers found an amphetamines factory in another lock-up - the gang supplied £650,000 of the drug altogether - and retrieved a library of detailed accounts listing all its deals. They revealed that apart from the amphetamines, the defendants sold one million Ecstasy tablets worth £5 million, and skunk cannabis - sold mainly in London - with a street value of £1 million.

Police also discovered £80,000 cash and a "large quantity" of Rolex watches in a safety deposit box.

In the dock were Burnell, 37, of Ribway, Buntingford, Hertfordshire (12 years); David Sangster, 40, from Webster Road, Southall, Middlesex (10 years), who organised the drug shipments, and Gary Pettican, 37, the gang's "distributor and facilitator" of Matlock Gardens, Hornchurch, Essex, (three-and-a-half years).

Two other men, Joseph Fisher, the gang's 39-year-old "book-keeper", of Pavilian Drive, Leigh-on-Sea, and Oliver Jenner, 40, of Shepherd's Croft, Stroud, Gloucester, got 14 and eight years respectively. All five had variously admitted conspiracies to supply the Class A,B, and C drugs between September 1 2006, and February 28 the following year.

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