Sussex: Group sentenced for organised drugs supply
Five people have been jailed for their role in a crime gang dealing drugs to the USA and Australia from Sussex
Last updated 25th Jan 2024
A Sussex organised crime group have been sentenced for their roles in supplying drugs disguised as bath salts and beauty products.
They tried to ship packages to the USA and Australia using courier services.
Eight people were convicted after police found MDMA worth around £1 million pounds in a rented house in Shoreham.
Five have been jailed for more than 18 years combined, with three others given suspended sentences.
The vast majority of packages were intercepted either in the UK or in the recipient countries, prompting a police inquiry.
Records revealed that the group had attempted to post packages to the United States and Australia concealing drugs in bath salts packaging, purchasing 64kg of bath salts in just one month for its packaging.
How did they get caught?
Sussex Police officers attended rented premises at Truleigh Hill near Shoreham, where about £1 million in MDMA was located inside two holdall bags. The property was rented by Jenny Blake in 2019.
Lee Hudson, along with his then partner Laura Burke, were seen visiting the site regularly and, following investigation, Matt Hodgson and Benjamin Beal were also linked to the group.
Meanwhile, Alexander Griffin was also linked to the organised group.
He was observed by officers in central Brighton entering a “stash” vehicle which contained 4,000 suspected class A drugs tablets in the Churchill Square shopping centre car park in August 2019.
The estimated street value of the drugs was worth more than £320,000.
Officers observed him interacting with brothers Dean Mazirel and Oliver Mazirel in Canon Place, before the brothers were also later arrested.
Speaking after the case, Acting Detective Inspector Ed Bohnet said:
“This was an organised group operating to disguise the transport and sale of large quantities of class A and B drugs from Sussex via courier services.
“Following a thorough investigation, all of the defendants have now been convicted.
“It demonstrates our determination to catch offenders operating in organised groups, and to disrupt drug supply which has such a harmful impact on our communities".