£15 Million Cocaine Ring Busted Across Kent and Essex
Ten criminals have admitted to moving 250 kilos of cocaine worth over £15 million between 2019 and 2022. The Kent and Essex Serious Crime Directorate cracked the case after seizing a key phone in 2020 during an unrelated probe.
International Sting Brings Down Encrypted Crime Network
This bust came thanks to a massive international operation targeting EncroChat — an encrypted mobile chat system used by criminals across the UK and Europe. The National Crime Agency exploited the hack to uncover wide-scale drug trafficking and multiple organised crime networks operating across countries.
Data retrieved from thousands of devices, including the seized phone, gave Kent Police the breakthrough they needed. It led them straight to key suspects David Squires and Lewis Cosgrove, who were found running a Kent-based organised crime group supplying massive amounts of cocaine to gangs in other counties.
Wide Web of Criminals Linked in Drug Conspiracy
Detectives connected the ring to Patrick Hallahan, Kevin Ratcliffe, Richard Shelton, Jessie Cockle, Michael Blewett, and Damien Freeman. All played roles in moving drugs or cash, handling supply records, or drawing a paycheck from the illegal enterprise.
The cocaine was trafficked between Kent, Suffolk, and East Sussex, with Squires arrested in March 2021 at his Rochester premises where six kilos of cocaine and £114,000 cash were seized. A ‘tick-list’ found confirmed at least 43 kilos had been distributed by the network.
When Squires was taken down, Cosgrove stepped up as a key player. Surveillance caught him in Strood meeting London dealer James Savva in November 2021. Cosgrove collected two bags, taken to a property where a police raid later uncovered 16 kilos of pure cocaine.
Mass Arrests and Stings Across Four Counties
By March 2022, police had enough evidence to strike. Simultaneous raids smashed the conspiracy across Kent, London, Suffolk, and Sussex. Alongside cash, high-value items and luxury watches were seized.
- Patrick Hallahan, 36, Hove – Convicted of 4 counts conspiracy to supply Class A cocaine
- Richard Shelton, 41, Brighton – 3 counts conspiracy
- Kevin Ratcliffe, 42, Brighton – 4 counts conspiracy
- David Squires, 46, Rochester – 3 counts conspiracy
- Jessie Cockle, 29, Suffolk – 2 counts conspiracy
- Lewis Cosgrove, 39, Rochester – 4 counts conspiracy + transferring criminal property
- Michael Blewett, 43, Brighton – Supply of Class A cocaine
- Damien Freeman, 45, Brighton – Supply involvement
- Carl Crabtree, 41, Suffolk – Possession of criminal property
- James Savva, 51, London – Conspiracy charge
Long Sentences for Drug Gang
On 18 January 2024, the gang received hefty jail terms:
- Hallahan – 14 years
- Shelton – 15 years 6 months
- Ratcliffe – 14 years
- Squires – 7 years
- Cockle – 14 years 6 months
- Cosgrove – 12 years 9 months
- Blewett – 10 years 6 months
- Freeman – 8 years 6 months
- Crabtree – 3 years
- Savva – 5 years 8 months
Kent Police’s DC Mark Froome said: “Disrupting criminal gangs like this and halting their activity in Kent remains a top priority. The supply of drugs wrecks lives in our communities. We’ll keep working with other forces to catch those responsible. “These criminals were consumed by greed, ignoring the destruction their drugs cause. No matter how well you try to hide, we will catch you and see justice done.”
