Police officers executed a search warrant in Kay Street in October 2019 and discovered a locked safe box containing £480,000 of cocaine with an 80% purity and a freezer containing £353,000 of amphetamine.
They also discovered two handguns with ammunition and a silencer, as well as a pump action shotgun with shotgun shells. During our search, we discovered two bottles of hydrochloric acid, the working parts of a drugs press, and drug packaging.
Nobody was on the premises at the time.
Our extensive CCTV investigations revealed defendants Ben Snell and Damien Derbyshire entering and leaving the unit in the months leading up to the warrant’s execution.
During the course of our investigation, we seized Mercedes Citan and Citroen Berlingo vans with hidden compartments in the back. Derbyshire and Snell used them to get to and from the unit.
Derbyshire and Snell were also linked to the drug supply conspiracy through paperwork and payments associated with the unit, as well as cell phone evidence.
Defendant Ryan O’Donnell was arrested on Corinthian Avenue in Manchester after his DNA was recovered from the black and silver handgun’s trigger/guard. At that address, we discovered cannabis, cocaine, and dealer debt lists.
Defendant Jay Thomas Carney was apprehended the same day at an address on Fairy Lane in Manchester after his DNA was recovered from the shotgun’s trigger/guard.
Derbyshire, 43, of St Ledger Court, Accrington, admitted conspiracy to supply Class A and Class B drugs and was sentenced to six years in prison.
Snell, 34, of no fixed address, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply a Class B drug, possession of prohibited firearms, ammunition without a certificate, and shotgun possession without a certificate. He was sentenced to nine years in prison.
Carney, 24, of Indus Place, Salford, pleaded guilty to unlawful possession of a shotgun and was sentenced to two years and six months in prison.
O’Donnell, 32, of Corinthian Avenue, Salford, pleaded guilty to possessing a prohibited firearm, possessing a Class A drug, being involved in the supply of Class A drugs, and possessing a Class B drug with intent to supply. He was sentenced to seven years and ten months in prison.
DC “This was a complex investigation that resulted in members of an organised criminal group receiving significant custodial sentences,” Paul Hayes said. They thought they could cleverly conceal their criminal activity, but we were able to dismantle their web of illegal activity through good detective work and targeted policing.
The illegal activities of organised criminal gangs on our streets will not be tolerated by Lancashire Police.” I hope the outcome of this case sends a clear message that East Lancashire is not a safe place for those looking to deal drugs and arm themselves with lethal weapons. If you choose to do so, we will search for you, find you, and bring you before the courts.”
I would like to praise all the officers who have worked on this case, as well as our colleagues from the Crown Prosecution Service, for their professionalism and dedication in this case,” said DS Steve Munro of East CID. This significant drugs haul would have flooded the streets of Lancashire, and three lethal weapons could have been used to cause serious or fatal harm.” I would encourage anyone with information about illegal activity in their neighbourhood to contact police at 101, and I am confident that we will take appropriate action.
