£3 Million Drugs Haul Sees Final Gang Member Sentenced
The last member of a massive organised crime group has been sentenced after police recovered a £3 million stash of heroin, cocaine, ecstasy, amphetamine, cannabis, and synthetic cannabis from a self-storage unit in Lincoln.
Massive UK-Wide Drug Network Busted
This haul was just a piece of a colossal drugs network that dealt with 1,200kg of heroin and 500kg of cocaine—worth around £100 million on the streets. The gang pumped over a tonne of heroin into the UK between January and September 2018.
Lincolnshire Police made their biggest-ever drugs seizure, leading to arrests miles away in Lincoln, Birmingham, Liverpool, as well as across Belgium and the Netherlands.
Final Conviction at Lincoln Crown Court
On Monday 14 August, Daniel Askew—the last conspirator—was sentenced at Lincoln Crown Court. He was caught hiding 12kg of amphetamine in a bricked-up garage space and a further 700g of cocaine in a loft.
The investigation revealed that the gang, led by Sean Page Sr, collected and distributed drugs across the UK. While on the run, Page Sr ran operations from Antwerp, Belgium.
Key Players and Police Sting Uncovered
- Sean Page Sr and his son Sean Page Jr controlled on-the-ground organisers like Thomas Conway.
- Imtiaz Ahmed Raja, who frequently shuttled between the UK and Belgium, pumped £1 million into the operation.
Lincolnshire Police’s breakthrough came in June 2018 when undercover officers caught Conway delivering drug packages in North Hykeham. Following vehicle stops, 2kg of pressed cocaine and amphetamine were seized.
A subsequent raid on a storage unit rented by Mark Golightly uncovered 30,000+ MDMA tablets, kilos of heroin, amphetamines, cannabis products, synthetic cannabis, and £25,000 in cash. A caravan linked to Conway was also searched where Askew’s drugs were found.
International Manhunt and Arrests
Officers seized another 61kg of heroin and 22kg of cocaine at UK ports, all traced back to Sean Page Sr’s network.
Peter Nulty, who facilitated money transfers across the Isle of Man, was also involved. The police tracked and nabbed Page Jr at Liverpool Airport on Christmas Eve 2018. Raja was arrested arriving at Birmingham Airport in April 2019. Page Sr was caught by Belgian police in Antwerp the following June, found with thousands of euros and fake IDs. Nulty was the last caught, detained at Amsterdam’s Schipol Airport in October 2019.
Police Praise and Sentences Delivered
Chief Superintendent Nikki Mayo said: “This is the largest drugs operation Lincolnshire Police has ever led. We seized millions worth of hard drugs and broke up a network flooding our streets and beyond. Our officers worked tirelessly with the National Crime Agency, UK Border Force, and European partners. This is top-class policing keeping our communities safe.”
Detective Chief Inspector Kerry Webb added: “Organised crime fuels violence, exploitation, and misery in our communities. Targeting those at the top was vital. This team’s dedication made these results possible.”
Sentencing Highlights
- Mark Golightly – 8 years 6 months for conspiracy to supply Class A and B drugs.
- Thomas Conway, 70 – 13 years 6 months.
- Daniel Conway, 41 – 6 months suspended sentence.
- Daniel Askew, 36 – 2 years suspended sentence.
- Jack Pickering, 27 – 2 years suspended sentence.
- Sean Page Sr, 51 – 22 years 6 months for conspiracy to supply Class A and B drugs.
- Sean Page Jr, 29 – 14 years for conspiracy to supply Class A drugs.
- Imtiaz Ahmed Raja, 58 – 5 years 11 months for money laundering.
- Peter Nulty, 40 – 40 months (pleaded guilty in March 2021).
Drugs from the Locker: Shocking Images
The storage unit revealed synthetic cannabis, cannabis resin bars, ecstasy tablets bagged up in sandwich bags, and heroin wrapped in packages marked as ‘Turkish Airlines’—a clear sign of sophisticated smuggling.
This multi-million-pound bust sends a clear message: UK police are relentlessly targeting drug networks to keep streets safe.
