A crack squad from Cleveland Police’s Dedicated Drugs Unit and North East Regional Organised Crime Unit (NEROCU) have nailed five more drug offenders. One, Craig Turner, 24, just landed a hefty three-year jail term for cooking up cocaine sales in East Middlesbrough.
Operation Blackberry Cracks the Cocaine Ring
Turner, of Siddington Walk, was caught red-handed after police watched the gang deal cocaine on 10 separate occasions in early 2025. The police probe, dubbed Operation Blackberry, uncovered a drugs line handling thousands of calls in just two months.
[block_2]
Alongside Turner’s jail term, two other crew members got suspended sentences with community orders, while another awaits sentencing next March.
Sentences Handed Down
- Craig Turner, 24 – 3 years in prison for drug supply.
- Stephen Garbutt, 42, Seaham – 2 years suspended, 150 hours unpaid work, 25 days rehab for conspiracy to supply cocaine.
- Craig Turner, 45, Marton – 21 months suspended, 9 months rehab for conspiracy to supply cocaine.
- Luke Turner, 22, Guisborough – Sentencing set for March 2026 for supplying class A drugs.
Youth Exploited in Drug Supply Chain
Last November, 19-year-old Curtis Cremin from Hubbard Walk was jailed for four-and-a-half years. He used the drugs line to supply class A drugs and shockingly groomed teenage boys to hand over drugs to customers.
