Warrington gang jailed after being caught with £20m of cocaine on the M6
The 186kg of cocaine discovered in a van in Cheshire is the biggest seizure of the drug on mainland UK.
Last updated 11th Jun 2019
Cheshire Police say a Warrington gang caught with over £20 million worth of cocaine on the M6 could have caused misery to communities up and down the UK.
Their massive drug supply operation came to a stop when detectives caught them near Knutsford - driving a van which had a fake floor in it - where they'd hidden 186kg of the drug.
That's the largest in land cocaine seizure in the UK.
Today - the 3 men and a woman have been sentenced to a total of almost 35 years in prison
The group were headed up by Jamie Oldroyd - who owned Pro Lease - a vehicle leasing company in Warrington.
He was sentenced to 14 years and 3 months as part of a previous trial
Phone footage also shows the criminals counting cash and smiling.
Detective Chief Inspector Mike Evans, from the Serious and Organised Crime Unit, says:
"This operation has not only resulted in the largest haul of cocaine being seized in the history of Cheshire but also the largest national in land seizure.
“We have wiped out two organised crime groups, preventing them as well as other gangs from gaining extreme profits and in doing so have protected our communities along with vulnerable adults from criminals who bring with them intimidation, exploitation and violence.
"To transport such a colossal amount of cocaine you have got to be a confident, arrogant and greedy individual"
“To transport such a colossal amount of cocaine you have got to be a confident, arrogant and greedy individual. Simpson has proved that he is exactly that and this is what led him to believe he could bring illegal drugs into Cheshire without being disrupted.
“Despite Oldroyd’s organised crime group going to great lengths to conceal their criminality and avoid being caught we were always going to be one step ahead. Let this be a warning to other organised criminals out there, Cheshire is and always will be, a very difficult place to operate.
“I want the public to be reassured that protecting our local communities by pursuing organised criminals will continue to be at the forefront of our priorities.
“We know there are local people in our community who are living in fear of these criminals and we're aware there are residents who know gangs are operating in their area. To those who engage in what they see as casual drug use, or show apathy towards it, I would highlight the misery these groups bring to the streets of Cheshire in order to maintain their profit margins.
“I hope successful operations like these reassure the public that we do act on information you provide and by continuing to come forward you can help protect your community and disrupt serious and organised crime".