A drug gang's smirking money man gave himself up to police.
Ryan Ager was part of a drug gang based in Goodwick, Wales who trafficked large quantities of cocaine and cannabis into Pembrokeshire. The organised crime gang was headed by Shaun Lucas who sourced the drugs from Dorset-based Liverpool man Terence Harrison.
Lucas was then responsible for the onward supply of the cocaine and cannabis in the Fishguard, wider Pembrokeshire areas and utilised his partner Leone James’ home address in Stop & Call, Goodwick, as a base to orchestrate the supply network and serve his numerous customers.
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He also utilised this address to meet with couriers Ozan Kilicaslan and Leigh Smith who were responsible for the delivery of drugs, as well as those responsible for collecting the cash generated from the sale of the cocaine and cannabis. As part of the disruption, police seized 244g of cocaine as it was being transported from Dorset to Pembrokeshire in October 2021.
Despite this enforcement action, they continued their illicit activities and in December 2021 Kilicaslan was arrested on his return journey from Lucas’ home address. His vehicle smelt strongly of cannabis and he tested positive for the presence of cocaine during a roadside drug swipe. Within his vehicle officers located £15,000 linked to Lucas.
Following this further disruption, the gang continued to traffic cocaine and cannabis into the Pembrokeshire area for the onward supply by Lucas and less than three weeks later, Smith delivered a large quantity of cocaine to Lucas at his home address.
In January 2022, Charlotte Doe was arrested on her return journey to Dorset from Lucas’ home address. Officers located more than £26,700 in her vehicle in two bundles, which were later forensically linked to both Lucas and Harrison.
The following day the gang continued their endeavour and Lucas travelled to Dorset to meet with Harrison. In March 2022 a two-week arrest phase saw eight people arrested in the Merseyside, Greater Manchester, Dorset and Pembrokeshire areas.
Ager, who refused to engage with officers at the time, later handed himself in at a Merseyside Police station. Eight of those people, including Ager, were charged with being involved in a conspiracy to supply cocaine.
Harrison, Lucas and Smith were also later charged with being involved in a conspiracy to supply cannabis. All three admitted both offences. Kilicaslan later admitted his part in the conspiracy to supply cannabis and his involvement in money laundering offences.
Doe and Ager admitted to their involvement in money laundering offences and James later admitted to her involvement in the supply of cannabis.
The drug gang were caught under Op Rookley, a covert investigation by Dyfed-Powys Police’s Serious and Organised Crime Team, which dismantled the gang that was transporting both the Class A and Class B drugs between Dorset, Merseyside and Pembrokeshire over an 11-month period.
Today at Swansea Crown Court, Smith, aged 44, of Owls Road, was sentenced to three years and nine months; Lucas, aged 48, of Ty Cornel, Park Street, Fishguard, was sentenced to nine years and eight months; and Terence Harrison, aged 43, of Kings Road West, Swanage, was sentenced to eight years four months.
All three had pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply Class A and B drugs at an earlier hearing. Earlier this month Kilicaslan, aged 30, of Ashley Road, Poole, was sentenced to 41 weeks in prison having pleaded guilty to money laundering and conspiracy to supply class B drugs.
Doe, aged 32, of Halves Cottages, Corfe Castle, was sentenced to 13 months and Ryan Ager, aged 34, of Pilch Bank Road, Knotty Ash, was sentenced to 19 months, both having pleaded guilty to money laundering.
James, aged 33, of Precelly Crescent, Stop and Call, Goodwick, will be sentenced on Friday, December 16, having pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply class B drugs.
An eighth person, Steven John Kerr, aged 35, of Billinge, near Wigan, was found not guilty of money laundering following trial.
Senior investigating officer DI Richard Lewis said: “This was a lengthy operation involving a number of departments across the force, who investigated intelligence, coordinated a series of warrants, interviewed the defendants and carried out detailed enquiries into their activity.
“Today’s sentencing culminates more than a year of police work, which saw the disruption of a major supply chain into Pembrokeshire and the dismantling of an organised crime gang, which was no doubt linked to illegal activity on a wider scale.”
Pembrokeshire Commander Superintendent Anthony Evans: “As a force we are making it a priority to target the people who bring and sell drugs in our area, so we’re pleased to have secured this result. Further work will now be carried out in relation to a Proceeds of Crime Act investigation which is aimed at confiscating criminal assets gained through illegal activities.
“Operation Rookley has resulted in the disruption of the supply of drugs into Pembrokeshire and shows Dyfed-Powys is intent on preventing travelling criminals from entering the area.”
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