Nine people have today been sentenced at Mold Crown Court collectively to a total of 44 year imprisonment.
The 9 people were all arrested as a result of an extensive policing operation, in response to the activities of an organised crime group based in North Wales.
The group was responsible for the trafficking cocaine into the force area from Merseyside.
The principal offender, Andrew Ross from Llys Y Faenol, Hawarden, and his organised crime group imported large quantities of cocaine from Merseyside and passed them to a member of his criminal group in North Wales, where the cocaine was ‘cut’ or ‘bulked up’ to twice the size. It was then pressed into solid discs with a pneumatic press and divided into at least two portions.
One portion remained in Rhyl, where Ross oversaw the distribution of it to street-level dealers. The second portion was taken to an address in the Flintshire area, where its distribution was overseen by Ross’ right-hand-man, 34-year-old James Lee Nevitt of Rayon Road, Greenfield.
The investigation revealed that Ross was sending quantities of cocaine along the coast to Holyhead, where it was distributed by other members of the organised crime group. It also revealed that the drugs distributed by Nevitt and his accomplices in Flintshire, was actually ‘cut’ and pressed a second time, bulking up its size even further.
On 18th October 2008, our operation led to in the arrest of Ross and Nevitt as they took delivery of a substantial amount of cocaine from their Merseyside supplier in an alleyway adjacent to Rhyl Football Club.
During the investigation a substantial quantity of cocaine was seized together with a large amount of cash from various addresses, and over £100,000 has been restrained in bank accounts in the UK and Spain, which are awaiting confiscation proceedings under The Proceeds of Crime Act, 2002.
Acting Chief Constable Ian Shannon said: “The convictions and sentences passed today rid North Wales of a serious organised crime group and make it an even safer place. The convictions are the culmination of two years of dedicated and professional work by officers in our Public Security Division.
He added: “This was a concerted and successful effort to dismantle an organised group. This work was done in conjunction with the CPS with which the North Wales Police has an excellent relationship and without their support this operation would not have reached this conclusion.”
