Three jailed after huge drugs bust
TWO brothers from Manchester and a man from Salford have been jailed after police smashed a multi-million pound drug-dealing network.
Over a four-day crown court sentencing hearing, 26 people were jailed for a combined total of almost 173 years.
Police said two separate drugs gangs based in Holyhead and Llandudno and Rhyl and Colwyn Bay, in Wales, sourced cocaine, heroin and cannabis from organised crime groups based in Manchester and Merseyside.
During the investigation - codenamed Operation Zeus by North Wales Police - officers recovered Class A drugs and a large amount of Benzocaine, which is used to bulk out drugs to maximise profits.
In total the seizures were worth £2.7m, reports North Wales Live.
Jordan Peeks, 37, known as George, of Mallow Street, Hulme, was jailed for 10 years for conspiracy to supply cocaine and cannabis.
His younger brother Jay Peeks, 33, also of Mallow Street, was jailed for six-and-a-half years for conspiracy to supply cocaine.
Lee Bamber, 45, of Cholmondeley Road, Salford, was jailed for six years for conspiracy to supply cocaine.
Mold Crown Court heard Jordan Peeks played a leading role.
He was described by the prosecution as an ‘upstream supplier’ of cocaine and has 17 previous convictions for 37 offences including violence.
Bamber, meanwhile, was said to be a courier for Jordan Peeks.
Jay Peeks was ‘enrolled in the family business’ as his brother’s ‘trusted lieutenant,’ said prosecutor Andrew Jones. He was said to be involved in arranging the transit of significant quantities of cocaine.
Gemma Vincent, of the Crown Prosecution Service, said: “The amount of drugs distributed by the two organised crime groups in North Wales was staggering.
“The investigation revealed that two entirely separate crime groups came together to form a profitable consortium. In doing so they were able to supply drugs along the North Wales corridor across three counties. This was a well-established and sophisticated criminal enterprise.”
Det Insp Lee Boycott described the gangs as ‘sophisticated and adept.’
He said: “Their plan to flood drugs onto the streets of North Wales took time to understand.
“The group tried to hide their criminal actions but surveillance and listening devices enabled the full picture to be laid before the court.”
The ‘compelling evidence’ secured by police led to an ‘unanimous sweep of guilty pleas across the entire crime group and ultimately their convictions,’ he added.
Operation Zeus ran from October 2015 to September last year.
The court heard cocaine of between 74 per cent and 90 per cent purity was seized, but it was destined to be cut down with Benzocaine.
One man is yet to be sentenced. His hearing will take place in January.
All those jailed will serve half their sentence in prison and remain on licence for the rest, meaning if they commit another offence, they could be recalled to jail.