That flooded the heroin and coke
to supply Class A drugs and two counts of possession with intent to supply a Class A drug. He appeared at court on Monday and was sentenced to five years and nine months imprisonment.
l Christopher Power, 32, of Windsor Road, Gateshead, admitted two counts of conspiracy to supply Class A drugs and one count of supplying a Class B drug. He was sentenced to three years imprisonment on Monday.
l Stephen Burton, 27, of St Cuthbert’s Drive, Felling, admitted two counts of possession with intent to supply a Class A drug. He appeared at court on Monday and was sentenced two years imprisonment.
l Gary Robinson, 29, of Lumley Gardens, Gateshead, admitted two counts of possession with intent to supply a Class A drug. On Monday he was handed a 20-month sentence, suspended for two years, and ordered to carry out 160 hours of unpaid work.
l Benjamin Skee, 27, of Celadine Way, Gateshead, admitted two counts of conspiracy to supply Class A drugs, possession with intent to supply MDMA, dangerous driving and driving whilst disqualified. He was sentenced to five years imprisonment on Tuesday.
l Michael Graham, 32, of Pontop View, Highfield, admitted two counts of conspiracy to supply Class A drugs. He was sentenced to three years imprisonment on Tuesday.
l Nathan Graham, 30, of Wardle Gardens, Felling, and Dean Joicey, 32, of Devon Crescent, Birtley, have also both admitted two counts of conspiracy to supply class A drugs. Graham also admitted possession of criminal property.
They will attend Newcastle Crown Court in September for a Newton Hearing that will determine how significant a role they played in the conspiracy.
Operation Salvator is just one of many operations carried out as part of Operation Sentinel, a co-ordinated policing response to serious and organised crime across the region.
Officers worked alongside Gateshead Council to arrest more than 60 suspects while also seizing drugs, cash and weapons.
They also retrieved 13 vehicles believed to be linked to organised crime. This gang is the first to be jailed as part of the operation but a number of other gangs still face criminal trials for the suspected supply of Class A drugs.