– the OCG who made millions from drugs and gun trafficking
– which was the biggest? The top tier. So this case was firearms and drugs – multiple kilo drug supply.”
The detective explained the process of how the review of messages was manually done by a team of dedicated officers. That, mixed with local officer knowledge of known individuals, helped push the investigation.
“Some people would be known to law enforcement but others were not, and this was going on without prior police involvement. We had incredibly diligent detectives who were experienced.
“We got the intelligence and then as the case progressed we got more and more of the picture. We would then cross reference it with what they were talking about on a particular day.”
Officers recovered thousands of rounds of ammunition, firearms, drugs, cash and even a table of expensive watches.
“It soon became clear this was the
biggest firearms supply job,” Det Sup Int Harrop went on. “The evidence was really strong, as well as the physical firearm recoveries, and the surveillance. We had exceptional resources, it was such a massive opportunity. You could say it was a once in a career opportunity.”
Of those convicted – Mohammed Omar Mali, Daniel Gibbons, Daniel Waters, Sean Hogan, Andrew Cooney, Conor Sandlan, and Adrian Gonzales – the detective said some were well known to the police already, whereas some had flown under the radar.
“Some of the top tier individuals were convicted, some who thought they were untouchable,” he added.
“So with this, there was the huge drug dealing, the multi kilos of importation, the massive firearms
supply and then the proceeds of crime.
“We recovered £600,000 in total, and then the other assets, the cars, the luxury goods etc. These are the three major strands of an organised crime group. The collaboration with the NCA and us worked well and it allowed us to work together on this.”
NCA Operations Manager Adrian Barnard said: “These men belonged to a dangerous network of criminals involved in the transfer of firearms and supply of drugs in the North West and across the UK.
“Sandlan was a major figure in this criminal enterprise. The wealth of contacts he used to transfer weapons across the country included criminals subsequently convicted following NCA investigations.
“It is chilling to see the volume of lethal weapons this criminal group moved, and we have seen the devastation that these kind of firearms can cause in the North West recently.
“However, gun crime in the UK continues to be relatively low compared to mainland Europe, and suppressing their availability to criminals is a priority for the NCA.
“We continue to work with policing partners to pursue the criminals involved in sourcing and supplying illegal firearms, and to remove weapons from circulation.”
Alan Richardson, Senior Crown Prosecutor for CPS North West’s Complex Casework Unit, added: “This was a highly developed operation and the largest one I have dealt with in my career.
“The dismantling of this operation and the subsequent convictions and sentences are a testament to the hard work of the whole prosecution team, including Greater Manchester Police’s serious and organised crime group, the National Crime Agency, CPS North West, and the barristers who prosecuted the case at court, John Elvidge KC and Neil Fryman.
“The men used sophisticated methods to try to evade prosecution including the use of a safe house to store drugs and weapons and the use of Encrophones, to prevent their communications being accessed.
“I would like to thank and praise the professionalism of everyone who has helped to bring these men to justice. I hope these convictions and sentences send a strong message to others who are endangering our communities by distributing illicit drugs and weapons, we will prosecute and bring to justice those that operate outside the law.”