Ten members of drug-dealing operation which operated in Suffolk, Kent and Sussex sentenced at Maidstone Crown Court
Ten men, including two from Suffolk, involved in one of the biggest drug operations in the south east of England have received jail sentences totalling more than 100 years.
The defendants admitted being part of the movement of 250 kilos of cocaine – worth more than £15 million – between 2019 and 2022, operating in Suffolk, Kent and Sussex.
Maidstone Crown Court heard a police operation, codenamed Venetic, discovered the men used an encrypted mobile phone chat system where they discussed delivery and payments.
The defendants had handles such as Rebornpainter and Sleekeye on the chat system.
They admitted offences including conspiracy to supply and transferring illegal funds. Some were involved in the supply and others were couriers or provided safe houses to store the drugs or the money.
Officers from the Kent and Essex Serious Crime Directorate were first alerted to the criminality when they seized a phone in 2020 during a separate investigation.
A previous international operation had taken down EncroChat, which was used by criminals across the UK and Europe.
The operation allowed investigators from the National Crime Agency to understand the illicit activity of people using the system and showed the scale of criminal businesses operating across multiple countries.
As part of that work data was retrieved from thousands of devices, which included the phone in this instance, that had been seized by officers.
The information on the phone led Kent Police detectives straight to David Squires and Lewis Cosgrove, who both had EncroChat handles.
They were later found to be instrumental in the running of a Kent-based organised crime network and had a part to play in the mass supply of cocaine to at least two other organised crime groups in different counties.
Detectives then built further connections to other defendants.
Squires was arrested in connection with this conspiracy on March 5, 2021, where six kilos of cocaine and approximately £114,000 in cash were recovered from a premises belonging to him in Rochester.
In addition to the drugs and cash, a tick-list recovered from him identified that the network had been in receipt and subsequent distribution of 43 kilos of cocaine.
When Squires was arrested Cosgrove was elevated within the network to replace him, and detectives continued to build their case and gather the evidence needed to secure charges.
Cosgrove was seen by officers having a meeting with a man named James Savva from London on November 29, 2021.
Cosgrove collected two bags from Savva and took them to an address. After he had left that premises police ordered a search warrant at the property and recovered 16 kilos of high-purity cocaine.
On March 23, 2022, detectives had enough evidence to bring in all the suspects they believed were involved in the conspiracy.
Enforcement action was carried out, simultaneously, at several properties in Kent, London, Suffolk and Sussex and the remaining arrests took place.
The defendants pleaded guilty to the following charges:
Carl Crabtree, 41, of Colsterdale, Carlton Colville, Lowestoft, Suffolk: One count of possession of criminal property – three years.
Jessie Cockle, 29, of Hulver Road, Beccles, Suffolk: Two counts of conspiracy to supply class A cocaine – 14 years and six months.
Patrick Hallahan, 36, of The Drive, Hove, Brighton: Four counts of conspiracy to supply class A cocaine and one count of encouraging/assisting in commission of indictable offences – he received 14 years.
Richard Shelton, 41, of Hillcrest Close, London: Three counts of conspiracy to supply class A cocaine – 15 years and six months.
Kevin Ratcliffe, 42, of Longhill Road, Brighton: 4 counts of conspiracy to supply class A cocaine. 14 years.
David Squires, 46, of Chorister Crescent, Hoo, Rochester: Three counts of conspiracy to supply class A cocaine – seven years.
Lewis Cosgrove, 39, of Butlers Park Way, Rochester: Four counts of conspiracy to supply class A cocaine and transferring criminal property – 12 years and nine months.
Michael Blewett, 43, of Mulberry Close, Brighton: One count of being concerned in the supply of class A cocaine – 10 years and six months.
Damion Freeman, 45, of Lenham Avenue, Saltdean, Brighton: One count of being concerned in the supply of class A cocaine – eight years and six months.
James Savva, 51, of Reservoir Road, London: One count of conspiracy to supply class A cocaine – five years and eight months.
After the sentencing, a man sitting in the public gallery was brought before Judge Philip Statman for taking a photograph of the defendants in the dock during a break.
The man, who had been taken out of the court by two police officers, told the judge he had not realised it was an offence and the incriminating picture was ordered to be deleted.
After giving him a dressing down, Judge Statman allowed him to leave.
Kent Police’s Investigating Officer, Det Con Mark Froome, said: “Disrupting criminal gangs like this and putting a stop to their offending will continue to be one of our priorities.
“The supply of drugs into this county brings misery to people’s lives and we will always work with other forces to ensure we catch those responsible.
“The criminals involved in this conspiracy were focused on making money and their greed got in the way of any consideration for the lives they would destroy once those drugs had found their way into our communities.
“No matter how good you think you are at covering your tracks, we will eventually catch up with you to ensure justice is served.”
