A huge cocaine conspiracy spanning the UK has been smashed. Seven men were handed a combined jail term of over 60 years after police seized tonnes of drugs linked to their operation.
Key Players Caught with £7 Million Worth of Coke
The Regional Organised Crime Unit (ROCU) raided the gang after stopping James Garlick, 30, and Shane Wintle, 32, in Newcastle-under-Lyme. Officers found 52 kilogrammes of cocaine worth up to £7.8 million in their vehicle. Garlick and Wintle were the masterminds behind a nationwide courier network distributing the drugs.
350 Kilograms Supplied in One Month
Between 20 May and 19 June last year, the gang arranged the supply of over 350 kilogrammes of cocaine. They used encrypted messaging apps to coordinate drug deliveries all over the country.
All Members Sent Down
- James Garlick – 9 years 7 months
- Shane Wintle – 9 years 7 months
- Julian Buggs – 9 years 5 months
- Harry Upton – 9 years
- Sam Upton – 8 years 2 months
- David Rowley – 8 years 3 months
- Andrew Rushton – 7 years 8 months
The others caught up in the syndicate include Andrew Rushton (46), Harry Upton (30), Sam Upton (28), Julian Buggs (57), and David Rowley (60). All seven had been arrested back in October last year. Today, the gang were sentenced at Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court after pleading guilty to conspiracy to supply cocaine. This bust is a major win in the fight against drug crime across the UK.
