SERIOUS OGANISED
CRIME AGENCY News Release issued by The Government News Network on
6 August 2008
Two men were
sentenced to a total of 27 years at Nottingham Crown Court today
(Wednesday) for their part in a major drug trafficking and money
laundering network.
The joint investigation between the Serious Organised Crime
Agency (SOCA) and Nottinghamshire Police led to the seizure of 64
kilos of heroin, 90,000 ecstasy tablets and 10 kilos of
amphetamines worth £13.6 million at a residential garage in the
Ruddington area - the largest ever drugs haul in the county.
Investigating officers were able to evidence that Gavin DAWES,
DoB 6/8/77, of Warwick Close, Kirkby-in-Ashfield, Nottingham, who
was sentenced to 15 years, supplied drugs throughout the Midlands
and was at times laundering over £1million a month. He pleaded
guilty in May this year to conspiracy to supply controlled drugs
and 12 money laundering offences.
DAWES used members of the network to launder money through banks
and money service bureaux to criminal associates in the UK and
overseas. During the investigation a total of £570,000 in cash was
seized and a financial investigation is underway.
Brian PECK, DoB 6/4/78, of Churchill Drive, Ruddington, who was a
trusted associate of DAWES, also pleaded guilty in May to
conspiracy to supply controlled drugs as well as three money
laundering offences. He was jailed for 12 years. PECK knew the
location of and had access to the drugs and acted as a courier for
the drugs and cash generated by sales.
SOCA Executive Director Trevor Pearce said:
"Today's lengthy jail terms are as a result of hard
work and dedication by officers from both SOCA and Nottinghamshire
Police and our colleagues from the Crown Prosecution Service. The
amount of heroin and other drugs seized would have had a serious
and detrimental effect on the local community had it been allowed
to hit the streets.
"Dismantling this well established network is a major
achievement and sends a very clear message to other criminals -
that SOCA and its partners will make the UK a more hostile
environment in which to commit serious organised crime."
Det Chief Supt Neil James, Head of Crime at Nottinghamshire
Police, said:
"This is partnership in action. It demonstrates how we are
working in a more coordinated fashion than ever before. Crime
respects no boundaries and we are now set up in such a way that we
have a cross-border response with multiple crime fighting agencies
at our disposal - and we are very much a team.
"This was a brilliant result, not just for us but for the
people of Nottinghamshire. We talk a lot about reducing harm - and
this has taken more than £13 million worth of harm off the
streets. That's success by any measure!" Alison
Saunders, head of the CPS Organised Crime Division, commented:
"If criminals want to run illicit businesses, we can match
them with all the latest tools that the law gives us - seizing
their assets, dismantling their operations and restricting their
ability to resume their illegal activities in the future."
Two other members of the network, Kathleen McKAY, DoB 25/5/74, of
Cranwell Road, Nottingham, and David WOMBWELL, DoB 5/9/63, of
Bamford Drive, Mansfield, will be sentenced at a later date. Both
acted as couriers for DAWES and delivered large amounts of cash to
others involved in the money laundering process. McKAY has pleaded
guilty to five money laundering offences and WOMBWELL pleaded
guilty to three.
Another man, Robert WHEELDON, DoB 19/5/70, of Shipley Road,
Nottingham, who also will be sentenced at a later date, has
pleaded guilty to two money laundering offences. WHEELDON allowed
DAWES to install a safe in an outhouse at his home address and
knew that he used it to store cash. DAWES paid him £400 a month
for use of the outhouse which also contained a machine that could
compress currency into heat sealed packages.
Notes to Editors
1. Pictures of the criminals and the drugs seized can be
downloaded by accessing the following link http://www.nottinghamshire.police.uk/media/media/
2. The drugs seized were recovered from a residential garage in
Templeman Close, Ruddington, in December 2006. The owners of the
garage were not charged with any offences.
3. The Serious Organised Crime Agency (SOCA) is an
intelligence-led agency formed in April 2006 to tackle Class A
drugs and organised immigration crime as top priorities. Other
priorities are fraud against individuals and the private sector,
hi tech crime, counterfeiting, firearms, serious robbery and
recovery of the proceeds of crime.
4. SOCA is an Executive Non-Departmental Public Body sponsored
by, but operationally independent from, the Home Office.