Violent Nottingham drug dealers brought down by covert police work "and their own arrogance"
The gang sold vast quantities of cocaine, crack and heroin in Nottinghamshire
A violent, gun-toting gang of drug dealers who sold cocaine, crack cocaine and heroin on the streets of Nottingham, Mansfield, Kirkby-in-Ashfield, Sutton-in-Ashfield and across Nottinghamshire, came to the attention of police after a series of shooting incidents in late 2018 and early 2019.
Police say they brought the group, who flaunted their wealth in increasingly lavish music videos, were down by a combination of covert police work and "their own arrogance".
Between July 2018 and June 2019 the gang made extremely large sums of money which they flaunted by buying jewellery, designer clothes, holiday, and the production of music videos in which they boasted about their drug-funded wealth.
In March 2019 several members of the gang, who had almost no legitimate income between them, flew to Mexico's Caribbean coast where they stayed in a private villa and even hired a luxury yacht.
In music videos the gang boasted about their drug dealing and said they needed a "money counter" to count their profits.
In another music video the gang were filmed in Bestwood safe house they used for storing drugs and guns. Police say they were further helped by "high-definition aerial drone footage of the location".
The gang were recorded on a police listening device discussing the sale of drugs and shooting rivals.
After a trial lasting more than 15 weeks the music finally stopped at Nottingham Crown Court on Thursday and Friday last week when Chand and six other men were convicted of multiple drugs and weapons offences.
The following men were convicted by a jury of two charges – conspiracy to possess firearms with intent to endanger life and conspiracy to possess ammunition without a certificate.
They are:
Akeem Chand, 27, formerly of Melbourne Road, Aspley;
Orlando Escoffery, 26, formerly of Fenton Road, Basford;
Quarnell Simpson, 23, formerly of Nuthall Road, Aspley;
Devante Neufville, 24, of no fixed address;
Kiefer Smith, 28, formerly of Dallman Close, Hucknall;
Alexsandro Woolery, 27, formerly of Portland Road, Carlton;
Each of them had previously pleaded guilty to conspiring to supply class A and class B drugs.
Ravan Mather-Simpson, 25, formerly of Mansfield Road, Nottingham, also pleaded guilty before the trial to conspiracy to supply class A and class B drugs.
All will be sentenced on Monday 25 October.