Crime gang in £72m drug supply plot are locked up

AN ORGANISED crime gang was involved in an 'industrial scale' conspiracy to supply tens of millions of pounds of heroin and cocaine from Bolton into south Wales.

- PHILIP DEWEY

On one occasion, a member of the gang was found in possession of 5kg of heroin after delivering the cash in a crane.

Kerry Evans, 35, was the 'orchestrator' of the enterprise which involved huge amounts of money involved.

Speaking at a sentencing hearing at Cardiff Crown Court, prosecutor Andrew Jones said: "It involved various people in different roles, at different points of time and geographic locations, who came together to engage in drug dealing on a colossal scale and vast amounts of money."

There was a widespread distribution network between the north of England and Merthyr Tydfil.

During the course of an investigation by regional organised crime unit Tarian, almost 10kg of cocaine and 5kg of heroin were seized with a potential street value of in excess of £1.5m.

Over the course of 12 months, Evans boasted he was involved in the sale of 600kg of either heroin, cocaine, or a combination of the both.

An estimated wholesale valued of this amount was value between £13.8m and £19.2m. If broken down into street deals, the estimated value of the drugs was between £64m and £72m.

Evans was described as a 'regional manager' and was 'at the very top of the hierarchy' in the gang. He was the 'focal point' of contact of many of the drug deals and was in contact with the majority of the defendants.