Thirteen people have been jailed for a combined total of more than 80 years after police dismantled a major organised crime network responsible for flooding Devon with millions of pounds worth of illegal drugs.

Devon and Cornwall Police said Operation Midriver involved the analysis of thousands of communications, 38 mobile phones and more than 50,000 messages, alongside financial investigations and a series of enforcement operations.

The investigation uncovered conspiracies involving the supply of cocaine, heroin, crack cocaine, cannabis and other drugs across South Devon and the wider South West.

Thirteen offenders sentenced

Those sentenced include:

• Edward Stoddart, 38, of Manor Street, Dittisham – 12 years, plus a further six months for possessing a mobile phone in prison
• Leon Harding, 22, of Queen Elizabeth Drive, Paignton – eight years and four months
• David Barnes, 76, of Plymouth Road, Buckfastleigh – 45 months
• Matthew Villiers, 48, of Hill Park Road, Torquay – five years and 10 months
• Keeley Nurden, 54, of Pettits Road, Dagenham – four and a half years
• Daimian Sloan, 40, from Torquay – 40 months
• Daniel Passmore, 45, from Princes Road, Torquay – seven years
• Corey Murphy, 21, from Paignton – eight years and nine months
• Kiara Banks, 21, of Barnfield Road, Paignton – five years and nine months
• Finley Gribble, 24, of Oaklands Park, Buckfastleigh – four and a half years, plus three months for possessing a lock knife
• George Langford, 21, of New Park Road, Paignton – six years and nine months
• Shane Cozens, 28, of Hoyles Road, Paignton – seven years and two months
• Ben Haigh, 32, from Torbay – 33 months.

Three other defendants – Kaiden Edwards, Vanda Galamba and Luke Barbour – have pleaded guilty to drug supply offences and are due to be sentenced at a later date.

Drugs worth more than £400,000 found in caravan

The first conspiracy operated between June 2023 and June 2024 and involved Class A and B drugs being brought into South Devon from London and elsewhere.

Police said Stoddart organised the conspiracy locally, with other defendants involved in transporting, storing and supplying drugs.

In October 2023, officers searched a caravan linked to Stoddart and recovered 4.5kg of cocaine, almost 475g of heroin, 672g of MDMA and more than 650g of spice.

The haul had a combined value of more than £400,000.

Kidnapping uncovered during investigation

Operation Midriver also uncovered a kidnapping carried out in November 2024.

Police said Harding, Banks and Murphy planned to kidnap Ben Haigh over money and drugs they believed he owed or had lost.

Haigh was found in Brixham, forced into a car and later transferred into another vehicle.

Police pursued and stopped the car before recovering Haigh unharmed.

Harding, Banks and Murphy were sentenced in connection with the kidnapping, alongside Natasha Yates and Martin Trant, who received suspended sentences in 2025.

£3m drug conspiracy stretched across South West

A second conspiracy operated between October 2023 and May 2025 and involved heroin, cocaine, crack cocaine and cannabis being supplied across the South West, particularly Torquay and as far as Newquay.

Police said drugs identified during this phase had a wholesale value exceeding £3 million.

Harding was described as the main organiser, using numerous aliases and phone numbers to manage the operation and avoid detection.

Searches also uncovered £14,000 in cash and almost a kilogram of cocaine with a potential street value of £76,800 at Gribble’s address.

Hundreds of kilograms of cannabis imported

The investigation also identified a cannabis importation operation involving shipments from the United States and Canada.

Police found tracking information for 94 parcels, 24 of which were intercepted by Border Force and found to contain cannabis.

Investigators estimated that James Barry and George Langford had imported just under 250kg of cannabis worth millions of pounds at street level.

Police hail major organised crime operation

Detective Chief Inspector Adam Worth, from the Serious and Organised Crime Unit, said:

“This investigation demonstrates the determination of Devon and Cornwall Police and our partners to disrupt and dismantle organised criminal networks operating across the South West and beyond.”

He said the case involved intelligence teams, covert policing, digital investigators and financial specialists working alongside the Crown Prosecution Service.

The CPS said further action would now be taken to identify and confiscate criminal proceeds generated by the network.