Large-scale cannabis importer convicted

A man who was part of a gang believed to have been the UK’s most prolific importers of skunk cannabis, has today (Friday 5 March) been convicted of possession with intent to supply controlled drugs at Southwark Crown Court.

Following a painstaking investigation by the Metropolitan Police’s Special Intelligence Section (SIS) – codenamed Operation Karnak – a total of 12 people connected to a network that brought approximately 250 kilograms of the drug into the UK each week from the Netherlands have been convicted.

The gang imported huge quantities of Skunk cannabis from the Netherlands to the UK.

It is believed the gang operated from June 2006 until their arrests in November 2008, during which time they were known to have imported almost £70million-worth of skunk – a highly potent strain of cannabis.

Officers seized 900kg of the drug – equivalent to 225,000 small street deals – during swoops on the gang’s operations and recovered around £500,000 in cash. However this was just a small fraction of the quantities the network handled.

DCI Steve Wallace, of the SIS, said: “This was a very organised, disciplined and discreet criminal network, and it is testament to the work of the officers involved that we were able to bring it down.

“Those at the highest levels of the gang lived apparently respectable and low-key lives and were meticulous in making sure that they did nothing that might have drawn the attention of the authorities – despite the vast sums of money they were generating.

“I’m sure they believed they could fly under the radar indefinitely, but these convictions show that all criminal networks will eventually be made to face justice.

While skunk may not generate the headlines of cocaine or heroin, its damaging effect on users is well documented, and society is better off with this gang and their drugs off the streets.”

Of the 12 gang members, 10 pleaded guilty and the 11th was found guilty last December in what was the first of two trials relating to Operation Karnak. The 12th person, James Hay, 31, of Stonny Croft, Ashtead, was found guilty today at Southwark Crown Court of possession with intent to supply controlled drugs.

The following had previously admitted their roles:
Terrence Bowler, 40, of St Albans Road, Kingston, admitted conspiracy to import controlled drugs and conspiracy to launder the proceeds of crime.

Peter Moran, 37, of Fulham Palace Road, SW6, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to import controlled drugs and conspiracy to launder the proceeds of crime.

Mark Kinnimont, 39, of Claremont Road, Surbiton, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to import controlled drugs and conspiracy to launder the proceeds of crime.

Liam Salter, 39, of Reeds Rest Lane, Tadworth, admitted conspiracy to supply controlled drugs and conspiracy to launder the proceeds of crime.

David Couchman, 38, of Sweeney Crescent SE1, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply controlled drugs and conspiracy to launder the proceeds of crime.

Timothy Sullivan, 38, of Ash Court, Epsom, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply controlled drugs and conspiracy to launder the proceeds of crime.

Peter Brown, 37, of King Henry’s Road, Kingston, admitted conspiracy to supply controlled drugs.

Roger Alexander, 44, of Churchill Close, High Wycombe, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply controlled drugs and conspiracy to launder the proceeds of crime.

Andrew West, 36, of WillowbankGardens, Tadworth, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to launder the proceeds of crime.

Barrie Burn, 59, of Hinton Road, Bristol, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply controlled drugs.

Another man, Asim Bashir, 35, of The Drive, Ilford, was found guilty of laundering the proceeds of crime following a separate trial in December 2009.

At Southwark Crown Court on Monday and Tuesday (1-2 March 10), three men were acquitted by the jury. Peter Gilmour, 36, of Hithercroft Road, High Wycombe, was found not guilty of possession with intent to supply controlled drugs.

Richard Seville, 42, of Ecclesbourne Road N1, and Lindsay Graham, 42, of Bushey Road, Sutton, were both found not guilty of conspiracy to supply controlled drugs.

Mandy Cripps, 34, of The Pentlands, High Wycombe, was found not guilty of conspiracy to supply controlled drugs today (6/3/10).

Another man, Anthony Mills, believed to have strong links to the network, is still being sought in connection with the investigation.

Metropolitan Police investigators became aware in August 2007 that large amounts of drugs and cash were being moved and concealed in the south-west London and north Surrey areas.

What would turn out to be a 14-month period of intensive undercover surveillance was instigated, as officers sought to untangle a complex network of drugs deals and shipments and illicit cash transactions.

The core business of the gang was the importation of skunk into the UK from the Netherlands in volumes of hundreds of kilograms. The cover for this was a wholesale flower importation firm, which would seemingly organise shipments to warehouses in this country.

Heat-sealed kilo parcels of the drugs would be packed into these boxes, with the smell of the flowers masking any odour they gave off.

Until July 2008, the drugs were imported into the UK through Harwich ferry port in Suffolk and then transported to a warehouse in Chatham, Kent. That changed after a shipment of 224kg – worth more than £750,000 to the gang – was intercepted at the port by officers on 16 July, prompting a major shift in their tactics. Records found in Chatham suggest that 88 such shipments were made between June 2006 and July 2008 – bringing in a potential £67million based on the gang’s sale price of £3,400 per kilo.

From September 2008 onwards the skunk was shipped to Hull and then taken on to a warehouse in Leeds. The old yellow flower boxes used previously were replaced with red, white and blue ones, and the labelled recipient switched.

Lorries and vans were used by the gang to transport the boxes from the warehouses, and these vehicles would sometimes be swapped mid-journey in an attempt to cover their tracks. Eventually the cargo would end up at one of a number of lock-up garages rented by the criminals, in Kingston, WorcesterPark, Epsom and Ashtead, where the skunk would be unpacked and stored.

The drugs would then be repacked into cardboard boxes and distributed to regular customers in deals of 20 to 50kg. Just 20kg represents 5,000 typically-sized street deals of one eighth of an ounce. The gang charged £3,400 for each kilo, meaning each 50kg would net them £170,000. Rudimentary accounts or dealing books, using nicknames for clients, showed the flow of drugs to customers.

Such was the income of the network at the height of their business that £60,000 had been left to go mouldy in one of the lock-ups before it was found by officers (pictured right).

From May 2008, it was noticed that some of the conspirators were taking bags of cash to a money transfer bureau called the World Currency Exchange in Commercial Street, E1, owned by Bashir. Although 20 visits were witnessed by officers, no details of the depositors appeared in the bureau’s records despite £11million of the gang’s cash going through its hands.

By facilitating these clandestine transactions, Bashir made sure that the drug money was lumped in with legitimate cash and laundered through the financial system.

Bowler was the head of the network and oversaw what was effectively the ‘board of directors’ for the business, also comprising Moran and Kinnimont, with Salter, Sullivan and Couchman representing the next level down of authority.

Alexander would sell on much of the imported product, earning £150 to £175 per kilo.

Brown was a late entrant into the operation, in September 2008, but was a key man once the import destination switched to Leeds via Hull, and was witnessed meeting Bristol dealer Burn.

Sentencing of all defendants will take place on a date to be fixed.