Drugs Gang Nabbed: Six Locked Up in Major Cocaine and Amphetamine Bust
Six criminals are locked up after a massive drugs conspiracy was smashed in the North East. The gang ran a high purity cocaine and amphetamine operation from early 2017 to mid-2018. Two more members await sentencing.
Undercover Sting Nets £120,000 Cash, Class A Drugs and Cannabis
John Allcock, the drugs linchpin, and his crew denied involvement throughout a gruelling 22-week trial. But detectives had been tracking the gang from January 2017 to May 2018. Police seized over £120,000 in cash, 65 kilos of cannabis, mixing agents, and Class A drugs.
Allcock and his right-hand man Carl McAlindon sourced drugs from a North West crime syndicate. Allcock regularly made trips to Liverpool and Manchester, visiting industrial units used for storing amphetamine. Couriers then distributed the drugs across the region.
Surveillance and Busts
- Detectives caught Liverpool courier Paul Marrow in September 2017. A hidden compartment in his van held cocaine worth £180,000.
- In November, officers found almost £50,000 stashed under a van’s boot liner during a stop in Lincolnshire.
- Two more couriers, Baber Azim and Glen Stoddart, were arrested in 2018 carrying cocaine, cannabis, and large sums of cash.
- Allcock was arrested in Spain with help from the National Crime Agency.
Convictions and Sentences Handed Down at Newcastle Crown Court
All eight suspects faced drugs and money laundering charges. Two pleaded guilty, while six were convicted after a four-month trial. Sentences followed on Friday:
- John Allcock, 52 (Durham) – 21 years for conspiracy to supply Class A & B drugs and money laundering.
- Carl McAlindon, 36 (Jarrow) – 13 years for conspiracy to supply Class A & B drugs and money laundering.
- Bernard Sewell, 41 (Hebburn) – 4½ years for conspiracy to supply Class B drugs.
- Mark Hiscock, 46 (South Shields) – 1 year for money laundering.
- David McFarlane, 53 (Jarrow) – 1 year for money laundering.
- Glen Stoddart, 53 (Hartlepool) – 5½ years for conspiracy to supply Class B drugs, money laundering, and organised crime involvement.
Paul Marrow (Liverpool) and Baber Azim (Slough) admitted conspiracy charges and will be sentenced later.
This takedown dealt a serious blow to drug trafficking in the region and sent a clear message to organised crime groups running rampant across the UK.
