Group jailed for large-scale drugs network across the South East
10 men have been jailed for a combined total of over 100 years
Members of an organised crime group responsible for the mass supply of cocaine across Kent, East Sussex and Suffolk have been jailed for a total of more than 100 years.
Ten people admitted being part of the movement of 250 kilos of cocaine worth in excess of ÂŁ15 million between 2019 and 2022.
Officers from the Kent and Essex Serious Crime Directorate were first alerted to the criminality when they seized a phone in 2020 during a separate investigation.
International Operation:
There was an international operation running at that time which took down an encrypted mobile phone chat system called EncroChat, being used by criminals across the UK and Europe.
As part of that work data was retrieved from thousands of devices.
The information on the phone led Kent Police detectives straight to David Squires and Lewis Cosgrove who both had EncroChat handles.
They were later found to be instrumental in the running of a Kent-based organised crime network and had a part to play in the mass supply of cocaine to at least two other organised crime groups in different counties.
Detectives built further connections to Patrick Hallahan, Kevin Ratcliffe, Richard Shelton, Jessie Cockle, Michael Blewett and Damien Freeman.
Guilty pleas and sentences:
All 10 suspects pleaded guilty to the charges put to them.
Patrick Hallahan, 36, from Brighton admitted 4 counts of conspiracy to supply class A cocaine and 1 count of encouraging / assisting in commission of indictable offences. He was sentenced to 14 years.
Richard Shelton, 41, from London admitted 3 counts of conspiracy to supply class A cocaine. He was sentenced to 15 years, 6 months.
Kevin Ratcliffe, 42, from Brighton admitted 4 counts of conspiracy to supply class A cocaine. He was sentenced to 14 years.
David Squires, from Hoo, Rochester admitted 3 counts of conspiracy to supply class A cocaine. He was sentenced to 7 years.
Jessie Cockle, 29, from Suffolk admitted 2 counts of conspiracy to supply class A cocaine. He was sentenced to 14 years, 6 months.
Lewis Cosgrove, 39, from Rochester: 4 counts of conspiracy to supply class A cocaine and transferring criminal property. He was sentenced to 12 years, 9 months.
Michael Blewett, 43, from Brighton admitted 1 count of being concerned in the supply of class A cocaine. He was sentenced to 10 years, 6 months.
Damion Freeman, 45, from Brighton admitted 1 count of being concerned in the supply of class A cocaine. He was sentenced to 8 years, 6 months.
Carl Crabtree, 41, from Suffolk from 1 count of possession of criminal property. He was sentenced to 3 years.
James Savva, 51, from London admitted 1 count of conspiracy to supply class A cocaine. He was sentenced to 5 years, 8 months.