£1 Million Drug Haul Smashes Sussex Crime Ring
Sussex Police dealt a massive blow to an organised drug operation after a raid at Truleigh Hill near Shoreham uncovered around £1 million worth of MDMA hidden in two holdall bags. This landmark seizure triggered the arrest and eventual conviction of eight suspects linked to the criminal network.
Drugs Disguised as Bath Salts for International Shipping
Investigators uncovered a cunning smuggling method where the gang concealed class A drugs inside bath salts packaging. They astonishingly purchased 64 kilograms of bath salts in just one month to mask their shipments, targeting destinations like Australia and the USA. All group members were deeply involved in these illicit export attempts.
Brighton Sting Nets 4,000 Class A Pills Worth £320k
Alexander Griffin was caught red-handed in Brighton’s Churchill Square car park in August 2019 with a “stash” vehicle full of an estimated 4,000 class A tablets valued at over £320,000. His close ties to Dean and Oliver Mazirel led to further arrests that dismantled the network.
Seven Prisoned, Three Get Suspended Sentences as Justice Served
- Dean Mazirel (39) and Oliver Mazirel (35) – 2½ years each
- Alexander Griffin (37) – 6 years
- Benjamin Beal (43) – 3 years 9 months
- Lee Hudson (42) – 3 years 7 months
- Jenny Blake (40), Laura Burke (33), and Matt Hodgson (47) – suspended sentences, plus community service and rehab
“This was an organised group operating to disguise the transport and sale of large quantities of class A and B drugs from Sussex via courier services,” said Acting Detective Inspector Ed Bohnet. “Their conviction shows our determination to catch offenders and disrupt drug supply damaging our communities.”
