Four men jailed after police smashed a huge heroin supply ring in Wigan

Four men have been jailed for 40 years after police seized the largest amount of ingredients to add to heroin in the UK in Wigan.

All four have been sentenced for conspiring to supply the Class A drug after huge amounts of paracetamol, caffeine and food colouring were found at an industrial unit after a fire two years ago.

This led to a massive investigation and raids across Wigan and Merseyside in July last year.

Marc Talbot, 47, from Wigan received 10 years and Paul Witter, 41, also from Wigan received 12 years.

Richard McDonough, 52, from Birkenhead and Joseph Manley, 53, from Everton both received nine years each.

At around 2.30pm on Thursday 26 October 2017, police were called by Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service to a fire at a unit in a trading estate off Worthington Way in Marus Bridge, Wigan.

Officers spoke with Marc Talbot who arrived at the scene in a dark grey Porsche.

He told officers that he worked at the place for a man named Paul Witter who was on holiday in Tenerife.

Officers secured the unit as a crime scene pending further investigation into the cause of the fire.

Vast amounts of paracetamol, caffeine and small bottles of food colouring were found in the unit - known to be used in the underworld and added to the class A drug heroin.

Large white bags of powder were also seized during the search.

Police discovered that approximately 375 kilos of heroin adulterant was being produced at the unit.

DNA and fingerprints belonging to Witter, McDonough, Talbot and Joseph Manley were found during the search and subsequent forensic examination.

After the fire at the unit in Wigan, surveillance revealed that Witter, McDonough, Talbot and Joseph Manley were all in contact with each other in the hours immediately prior to, during, and following the incident.

Following these findings, an investigation was launched into the conspiracy to manufacture and supply class A drugs across Wigan and Merseyside.

By Friday 20 July 2018, police had enough evidence to execute 11 simultaneous warrants across Wigan and Merseyside.

Paracetamol, caffeine, and a large amount of brown powder totalling approximately 86 kilograms, along with blender bottles, fabric gloves and other manufacturing equipment were amongst some of the items found in Joseph Manley’s detached garage and within the house.

Witter, McDonough, Manley, Talbot, were all arrested on the same day on suspicion of conspiring to manufacture and supply class A drugs.

All four were later charged with conspiracy to supply Heroin. All defendants pleaded not guilty, with Manley and McDonough claiming that they were told they were preparing a ‘Sports Drink’ for an un-named person, and Witter and Talbot claiming that McDonough had provided them with a false story, telling them that he was using their unit to run a ‘Bio fuel’ business.

Detective Sergeant Simon Monks of the Wigan District’s Challenger Team said: “These men thought they were above the law, and some of them lived a lifestyle that they funded through manufacturing and supplying a shocking amount of class A drugs.

“The conviction and sentencing of these men today has prevented the distribution of industrial amounts of heroin reaching the streets of Greater Manchester, Merseyside and no doubt way beyond. These are amounts of heroin adulterant, which we have never seen the likes of before within any seizures previously in the UK.

“I hope today’s sentencing serves as an example to those tempted by crime that we will pursue them, and makes clear the consequences that anybody who chooses a life of drug dealing will face.

“I would like to thank both the CPS for their continued support throughout this lengthy and complex case, and also the investigation team of Wigan Challenger - Organised Crime unit, for their tireless efforts."