Nine Men From Cumbria Drugs Gang Sentenced To Sixty Years
01/03/2013
Nine men have been sentenced to a total of 60 years and six months in prison, in connection with a conspiracy to supply class A drugs.
'Operation Chamonix' began in April 2012, with detectives from Cumbria Police investigating Cumbrian criminals believed to be at the centre of the drug supply network.
The investigation focused on the wholesale supply of Class A and Class B drugs in Cumbria but stretched across four counties in the North of England. The operation came to a head on 31st August 2012 when high purity cocaine with a potential street value of over half a million pounds was recovered from the defendants.
Joanne Cunliffe, Crown Advocate, CPS North West Area, said:
"These criminals were responsible for the large scale supply of drugs throughout Cumbria and the North of England. By securing their conviction, the CPS and police have dismantled this supply chain and removed a prominent source of drugs from the region.
"We worked closely with the police in order to bring these defendants to justice. The amount of hard work that went into building the strong case against them can be demonstrated by the fact that the defendants had little other option but to plead guilty at an early stage.
"The supply of drugs can have devastating and wide reaching effects on whole communities. The CPS is committed to making our communities safer by disrupting organised criminal networks like this one and in turn reducing the availability of drugs on the streets.
"Let today's sentencing be a message to other criminals out there. We are determined to keep our streets safe by putting those who are involved in supply of drugs behind bars."
Paul Duhig, Cumbria Police Temporary Detective Superintendent, said:
"We have dedicated officers and staff who specifically target more serious criminals and work to disrupt supply chains and reduce drug availability and the associated harm to the people of Cumbria. There are many different departments within Cumbria Constabulary that contribute to operations like these and I can't emphasize enough the complexities of bringing a police operation like this to a successful conclusion.
"In order to achieve such a positive outcome in a case like this we have to gather very large quantities of evidence. For example, the telephone evidence in this investigation alone ran to some 75,000 pages. The work of the officers in this case and the close support and guidance we received from the Crown Prosecution Service Complex Case Unit has been fundamental to today's success. It has been the commitment and close attention to detail by everyone involved that led to all nine defendants pleading guilty.
"The sentences passed in court today speak for themselves. Our highly committed and effective officers and staff continue to focus on the criminals posing the biggest threat to the communities of Cumbria. Anyone who thinks that getting involved in drug supply or serious crime can pay, should think again. This case is the latest in a long line of successful investigations which send a clear message to organised criminals in Cumbria - you will end up in court and waste a large part of your life in prison."
The defendants admitted the charges and were given the following sentences:
Aaron Giacopazzi, 47, of Raffles Avenue, Carlisle was handed 16 years
Shabaz Choudrey, 34, of Rushton Road, Bradford, West Yorkshire was handed 10 years
Ayub Khansia, 54, of Tintern Crescent, Blackburn, Lancashire was handed 10 years
Christopher Drew Brookes, 53, of Albany Road, Blackburn, Lancashire was handed 9 years
Curtis Blue Waite, 24, of Imperial Road, Billingham, Cleveland was handed 6 years
John Carney, 56, of Raffles Avenue, Carlisle was handed 4 years
Benjamin Morris, 36, of 21 Peel Mount Blackburn, Lancashire was handed 2 years
Thomas Robert Martin, 36, of Tarbert Crescent, Blackburn, Lancashire was handed 2 years
Paul Bartholomew Carney, 52, of John Street, Carlisle was handed 18 months
