Major drug gang jailed

Updated 13.29 Thu May 22 2008

Five men have been jailed for up to 14 years each after making millions of pounds by flooding the UK with illegal drugs.

The gang, which included an ex-Metropolitan police officer who was imprisoned earlier, smuggled most of the amphetamines, cannabis, cocaine and ecstasy from Holland.

Investigators quickly realised those involved were enjoying an "extravagant lifestyle" despite their obvious lack of jobs

They then used a lock-up garage near London as a distribution depot.

Inner London Crown Court heard the operation - headed by a Mr Big too ill to ever stand trial - made millions as orders were delivered across most of southern England and all of Wales.

Kenneth Millett, prosecuting, said neither Mr Big nor any of his minions realised police had spent six months watching their every move.

Investigators quickly realised those involved were enjoying an "extravagant lifestyle" despite their obvious lack of jobs.

Day-to-day operations chief and "treasurer" Robert Burnell, for example, drove an Audi TT, had wardrobes crammed with designer clothes and paid for everything in cash.

The investigation, codenamed Operation Carbonel, gradually dismantled the gang's lucrative enterprise with a series of swoops across the country.

During the raids, officers found an amphetamines factory in another lock-up - the gang supplied £650,000 of the drug altogether - and retrieved a library of detailed accounts listing all its deals.

They revealed that apart from the amphetamines, the defendants sold one million Ecstasy tablets worth £5 million, and skunk cannabis with a street value of £1 million.

Police also discovered £80,000 cash and a "large quantity" of Rolex watches in a safety deposit box.

In the dock were Burnell, 37, of Ribway, Buntingford, Hertfordshire (12 years); David Sangster, 40, from Webster Road, Southall, Middlesex (ten years), who organised the drug shipments, and Gary Pettican, 37, the gang's "distributor and facilitator" of Matlock Gardens, Hornchurch, Essex, (three-and-a-half years).

Two other men, Joseph Fisher, the gang's 39-year-old "bookkeeper", of Pavilian Drive, Leigh-on-Sea, and Oliver Jenner, 40, of Shepherd's Croft, Stroud, Gloucester, got 14 and eight years respectively.

All five had variously admitted conspiracies to supply the Class A,B, and C drugs between September 1, 2006, and February 28 the following year.

Former policeman Andrew Shepherd, 46, from Hornchurch, Essex, who used to be stationed in Romford until he quit on health grounds in 2001, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply cocaine at an earlier Kingston Crown Court hearing and was jailed for 36 months.

Two other gang members have also been dealt with. Robert Gregory, 64, who lived in Ferndale, south-west London, admitted plotting to supply cannabis and got 18 months at Inner London Crown Court.

Matthew Ryder, 33, of Ford Close, Ivybridge, Devon, pleaded guilty to a similar charge at Exeter Crown Court and also received 18 months.