Members of a drugs gang which supplied millions of pounds worth of cannabis across the UK have been jailed.
Six defendants based in Rochdale and Bury appeared before Manchester Crown Court last week for their part in an organised crime group (OCG), labelled Nardo, which operated for around at least a year between 2020 and 2021. The court heard the gang produced cannabis on an 'industrial scale'.
Prosecuting, Alex Langhorne said that the OCG produced 'industrial quantities' of cannabis for supply to other OCGs, including one in Northern Ireland. This cannabis was produced in massive industrial units in St Helens and Bacup, with the six defendants in court all playing their own role.
The court heard that the gang's activities first came to police attention on October 3 2020, when defendant Andrew Hall, 55, contacted fellow defendants Eneo Zace, 34, and Tedi Hyesani, 28, both Albanian nationals, before collecting cannabis from a farm in St Helens and supplying it to members of the Northern Irish OCG. When the drugs were being transported in Northern Ireland, however, a haybale containing 50kg of the drug fell off a horsebox and was seized by police.
CCTV footage of the horsebox after this led police to estimate that there was at least 100kg inside it, worth £500,000. The police launched an investigation, called Operation Marengo, and Mr Langhorne said that by November 23 of that year the two farms, in St Helens and Bacup, were operating, and plenty of 'handovers' of cash and drugs were seen, showing 'movement down a chain'.
On November 30, 80kg of cannabis transported to Northern Ireland by this OCG was stopped on the motorway by police, with Hall, Zais, and another defendant Lahert Pone, 32, all sending each other 'panicked' messages that evening.
This later led to the discovery of the cannabis farm in Bacup on January 31, 2021, the court heard. The owner of the property, Glen Sinclair, 40, attended saying there had been a break-in, where police found "a large and sophisticated farm premises".
"There were a n umber of different room across three floors with cannabis at different stages of growth," Mr Langhorne said. He added that it was a 'highly sophisticated' set-up with a 'huge quantity' of growing equipment.
The cannabis plants at different stages of growth meant that more than £500,000 worth of cannabis could be produced every 10 weeks. The discovery of the farm did not stop the conspiracy, though, with many handovers of drugs and cash taking place in the months after.
First arrests after dawn raids
On May 11, the remnants of a cannabis farm were discovered in St Helens, which police discovered could also be capable of making over £1m of cannabis regularly for supply, and was again a 'highly sophisticated' operation. The police investigation into the conspiracy culminated in dawn raids on September 21 last year where Zace, Hyesani, and Pone were arrested. Hall was not arrested during the raids but later handed himself in at a police station.
Officers discovered that Hyesani had recently been deported back to Albania after being convicted of similar crimes but re-entered the UK illegally a few months later looking for work, met Pone and got involved in the conspiracy.
Sinclair was arrested in December 2021 and made a 'frank admission' to hiring out his unit for use as a cannabis farm, where he was paid over the asking price as 'hush money'. He said he had been approached in August 2020 by Albanians looking to use the unit for cannabis growth but claimed he did not know the size of the farm or had any active role in running them. He did however help clear the farm in St Helens.
Another arrested and charged was 30-year-old Luke Spencer, who had an 'operational function' within the conspiracy chain. One of the leaders of the gang was not up for sentencing as they have fled the country and live in Dubai., the court heard.
All defendants pleaded guilty to their charges with each defence barrister playing down their role in the conspiracy and their remorse for being involved. But Judge Hilary Manley told the court: "This was a sophisticated and highly organised operation to grow large amounts of cannabis and supply it to other groups. Each one of you played a part over these 12 months with an expectation to financial gain."
Zace, of Lakeside, Bury, was jailed for six years for two counts of conspiracy to supply cannabis, due to his 'organisation' of the production of the drugs on an industrial scale and his 'influence on others', the judge said.
Hall, of Wycherley Road, Rochdale, who had a 'significant role as a courier' and 'definitely had some understanding of the operation', was handed a three years and four months sentence for conspiracy to supply cannabis. Hyesani, of St Peters Street, Rochdale, was given two years and six months for the same.
Pone, of New Barn Lane , Rochdale, was said to have a 'full awareness of the scale of the operation' and was handed three years and six months for conspiracy to supply cannabis. Sinclair, of Bacup, was told it was impossible 'that you didn't know the full scale of the growth and you allowed it to take place'. He was sentenced to two years and four months in prison.
Spencer, of Thrum Hall Lane, Rochdale, was jailed for two years for a conspiracy to supply cannabis, with him working 'lower down the chain'. The court heard how Spencer had also made a 'dishonest application' for a Covid bounce back loan from the government.
He applied for the loan in May 2020 for his company which he had set-up in July 2019. He claimed his business' turnover was £200,000, despite records showing it was only £5,000, which meant he got the full loan £50,000. He used much of this for his personal use, including buying a Rolex watch. He pleaded guilty to fraud.
Judge Manley said of his Covid fraud: "It's astonishing that no basic checks were carried out for the loans and all you had to do was simply tell them what your turnover was, it's astonishing for the court to learn this." For the fraud he was sentenced to a further six months.
