Kingpin Stanley Woods and 17 Gang Members Jailed for Major Drug Smuggling
Stanley Woods, 21, led a ruthless drugs ring caught smuggling cannabis, MDMA, and cocaine into the UK from Europe, Canada, and the US. Between June 2022 and January 2023, Woods and 17 associates were sentenced at Southampton Crown Court for a conspiracy that ran from April 2019 to December 2020.
Massive Drug Haul and Police Sting
Police seized over 58 kilos of cannabis worth more than £500,000, along with £38,000 in cash and £50,000 in cryptocurrency. The gang also had five antique firearms, plus knives, machetes, crossbows, and other weapons.
The Hampshire and Isle of Wight Serious and Organised Crime Unit led the crackdown, working with Border Force and others to bust the ring. The drugs were smuggled via postal companies to Woods’ and his associates’ addresses, including his partner Jade Stubbs and her brother Luke.
Undercover Work and Arrests
Woods used runners to distribute drugs locally in Hampshire, the Isle of Wight, and Dorset. The gang converted their cash proceeds into Bitcoin to hide their profits.
Key arrests included Daniel Sivyour, caught with cannabis and cocaine; Tyler Williams and Zak Blake, stopped after a police chase with drugs and cash; and Woods himself, arrested during multiple search warrants in November 2021.
Exploiting Legal Loopholes to Arm the Gang
Officers uncovered Woods using a loophole to buy antique guns without a licence, then illegally modifying them into lethal firearms with parts bought online. He supplied these weapons alongside drugs to his ‘employees’.
Sentences for the Drug Horde
- Stanley Woods – ringleader, sentenced to several years in prison
- Jade Stubbs (Woods’ partner) – 9 months for conspiracy to import/supply cannabis
- Daniel Sivyour – 6 years 6 months for cannabis & cocaine supply
- Tyler Williams – 2 years for drug offences and dangerous driving
- Zak Blake – sentenced alongside Williams in January 2023
- Other members received sentences ranging from suspended prison to community orders, reflecting their varied roles in the network
Police praised the operation as a major blow to organised crime in the region. The investigation not only cut off a huge supply of illegal drugs but also prompted calls to close loopholes allowing unlicensed firearms ownership.
