THE jailing of a gang of £1 million cocaine gang for more than 40 years today was praised as sending a ‘clear message’ to would be dealers in Devon.

Senior Investigating Officer Detective Chief Inspector Ben Davies said: ‘Sentences handed out today send a clear message to those who feel that they can transport drugs into our communities, set up and sell them.

‘The judge was very clear that this group of criminals were sophisticated, organised and operating across the region.

‘I commend the professionalism and dedication of the investigating team in Devon and Cornwall for the lengths they have gone to ensuring that the organised crime group were identified, arrested and convicted.

‘This complex investigation took place during the national Covid pandemic which brought challenging conditions to both the team and Crown Prosecution Service (CPS).

‘Working together ensures that those who commit serious organised crime will be dealt with robustly by the police and CPS.

‘I thank the CPS and those that work within it for their continued support in making the communities of Devon and Cornwall safer for all.

‘Devon and Cornwall Police will continue to pursue these organised crime groups in order to protect the communities they target.

‘I would urge any residents to have the confidence to call the police or Crimestoppers to report drug-dealing activity so that we can be made aware and look to stop it as soon as possible.’

The offences happened in the second half of 2019. Adi Lleshi, Mark Vasija, Steven Evans, John Minchinton and Tyler Harrison were part of an organised outfit which saw high-purity drugs delivered from London to dealers in Devon and the rest of the South West. Read the story at https://www.middevonadvertiser.co.uk/article.cfm?id=122000

Vasija, aged 40, also of Buckhurst Hill, Essex, was jailed for 11 years and two months.

Lleshi, 25, of Buckhurst Hill, Essex, was sentenced to 10 years and six months in prison.

Minchinton, 42, of Kings Drive, Brixham, was also found guilty of obstructing a police officer and sentenced to nine years and four months in prison.

Evans, 43, of Mount Lidden, Penzance, was sentenced to five years and seven months in prison.

Harrison, 27, of Torridge Way, Plymouth, was jailed for four years and four months.

Williams, 59, of Padstow Road, Bristol, is due to be sentenced at a later date.

Ann Hampshire, Senior Crown Prosecutor in the CPS South West Complex Casework Unit, said: ‘Because of the scale and complexity of these investigations, we worked closely with a team of specialist officers from Devon and Cornwall Police from 2019 to build a strong case against this organised crime group.

‘The case took many months of careful investigation and preparation, as we needed to obtain and review vast amounts of material to build a picture of the criminal network.

‘Covid restrictions impacted significantly on the investigation and prosecution of this case, but we were able to demonstrate the individual role that each defendant played in the large-scale county lines drug supply of cocaine from London into the South West.

‘This organised crime group ran a substantial business operation distributing many kilos of cocaine into the West Country and generating hundreds of thousands of pounds of income. Proceedings continue to confiscate any assets that the defendants may have so that they do not profit from their crimes.’

DCI Davies also said: ‘This was a substantial and complex investigation in which large quantities of Class-A drugs destined for the streets of Plymouth, Bristol, Torquay and Penzance were seized.

‘The large quantities of criminal money also recovered demonstrated the extent of the drugs empire and foothold in the South West of England.’

HELP IS AVAILABLE

If you have been affected by the above article, you can access information on drug and alcohol support on the following link: www.dc.police.uk/drugs-alcohol-support

You can also visit the Frank website to find local drug treatment services.