Dealers make so much, they can’t spend it all
FORMER CITY DETECTIVE LIFTS THE LID ON SCALE OF NOTTINGHAM DRUGS OPERATIONS
AN expert and former police sergeant has lifted the lid on the highly lucrative and dangerous drugs industry in Nottingham.
It comes after a violent, gun-toting gang of drug dealers were sentenced in October for their crimes, having flaunted their wealth in youtube videos.
The gang’s leader, Akeem Chand, was sentenced to life in prison for his role in the operation, where he was said to have controlled his troops within the empire he built.
Police released video footage showing Chand firing a gun multiple times at a car, hitting a rival in the neck - the terrifying moment was captured on a nearby driver’s dashcam.
Details also emerged in October of two cocaine gangs, one from Lincolnshire and the other from Coventry, who used the sleepy Nottinghamshire village of Stanton-on-the-wolds in Rushcliffe for drug buys.
The two gangs were jailed for a collective total of more than 100 years for their exploits, transporting an estimated 17kg of the class A drugs in the space of just one year.
But just how lucrative is the drugs trade in Nottinghamshire - and how does it work?
Andrew O’hagan worked for Nottinghamshire Police for 31 years, rising to the role of detective sergeant of the force’s Serious and Organised Crime squad.
He previously helped to investigate notorious Nottingham criminals, including Colin Gunn.
He now works as a senior lecturer in Forensic Science at Nottingham Trent University’s school of science and technology.
How much is the industry worth in Nottingham?
Mr O’hagan told the Post roughly how much the illegal drug business is worth in Nottingham and how dealers desperately try to get rid of the huge amount of cash they find themselves with.
“I always say that cocaine, in particular, makes the world go around,” Mr O’hagan said.
“Economies around the world are all funded by cocaine, and that will be no different in Nottingham.
“A lot of the revenue that is accumulated from cocaine, heroin and all the drugs that go with it, is all pumped back into the economy in one way or another.
“Without doubt, in Nottingham, we are talking about a multi-million pound business. They’ll be accumulating so much money that they can’t spend it. Law enforcement are doing their best to keep up with it.
“It’s a known fact that on a weekly basis, thousands of pounds is going on commercial flights from the East Midlands and Birmingham into places like Malaga and then it gets lost into western Europe. It’s been happening for years.”
What are the dealer’s methods?
He says the recent police investigation and prosecution shows how much the industry has changed since he retired back in 2010, with social media giving dealers a new way of contacting potential clients - but also a “ridiculous” way of showing off their newfound wealth.
He said: “In those days, they had lists of people who bought the drugs on text messages and things like that. Now, they’re advertising through Facebook, Instagram and youtube for instance.
“They can’t help themselves. They accumulate that much money and wealth where they think they aren’t going to be caught.”
He added: “Now that they’ve been put away, there will be people that go and take over from them. Different people, same industry, really.”
Where are the problem areas in the city?
Back when Mr O’hagan worked for Nottinghamshire Police, he says problem areas included the likes of St Ann’s, The Meadows, Hyson Green and Radford.
He says such problem areas still remain in Nottingham for officers to this day, which has been the case for many years.
“It’s never going to change,” he continued.
“We used to do operations in various areas of Nottingham - I still remember doing an operation on Radford Road in Hyson Green and taking out about 15 street dealers because of complaints. We’re going back about 15 years, of course. “But within a week of that happening, another group of street dealers had taken over. The pandemic hasn’t stopped people being drug addicts. “Cocaine and heroin are what I call the “constant” drugs. They’re the ones that will always be here, in my opinion - in Nottingham and everywhere else. “Has it got any better since I retired? I would say no. I would say that the industry is still there. My view is reinforced by the sentences given to this organised crime group [headed by Chand]. You look at the money they were making, so you’ve got to say the problem is there like it’s always been. The police are still targeting these people but it’s a difficult job.”
On a weekly basis, thousands of pounds is going on commercial flights into places like Malaga.
Andrew O’hagan