Ten Nabbed in Massive Drug and Fraud Bust Worth £10 Million
Kent and Essex Serious Crime Directorate unleashed a major crackdown on Wednesday 23 March 2022. Ten suspects were charged and assets worth a whopping £10 million frozen after 28 dawn raids targeting a brutal organised crime gang.
28 Warrants Serve Up Big Haul
Officers hit multiple locations, dismantling a network involved in complex fraud and pumping huge quantities of cocaine onto the streets. Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs investigators joined the hunt, working hand-in-hand with serious crime detectives to crack the case wide open.
Seventeen suspects were targeted. All were rounded up by the end of the raids.
£10 Million in Criminal Assets Frozen
Kent Police financial sleuths swiftly froze bank accounts and stopped the sale of luxury cars and properties linked to the gang. The haul includes over £10 million in alleged criminal proceeds, delivering a crippling blow to the operation.
Meet the Charged: Cocaine Conspiracy and More
Following talks with the Crown Prosecution Service, ten individuals face charges of conspiring to supply cocaine. They include:
- Lewis Cosgrove, 38, Rochester
- Patrick Hallahan, 35, Hove
- Kevin Ratcliffe, 40, Brighton
- Damion Freeman, 44, Brighton
- Richard Shelton, 40, Eltham
- Michael Blewett, 42, Brighton
- Jessie Cockle, 28, Lowestoft
- James Savva, 50, New Barnet
Additional charges include:
- Carl Crabtree, 40, Lowestoft – concealing criminal property
- Daniel Newton, 35, Tonbridge – fraud by false representation
All suspects were remanded in custody and are due in Medway Magistrates’ Court on Friday 25 March. Seven others were bailed pending further inquiries, with a return set for Wednesday 20 April.
