Six jailed for major drugs conspiracy in south Staffs

A south Staffordshire man who ran an operation supplying cocaine was jailed for 18.5 years for drugs and firearms offences.

A south Staffordshire man who ran an operation supplying cocaine was jailed yesterday (1 November) for 18.5 years for drugs and firearms offences.

The arrest of Christopher Jones, aged 32, who was formerly known as Ricky Bates, led to a Staffordshire Police investigation resulting in the conviction of another five men for drugs offences.

Jones, who used other aliases including Michael Smith, was initially arrested on 29 December 2015 and a search of his property in Moatbrook Lane, Codsall, took place.

Officers seized two firearms from the address - a double-barrelled shotgun and a sawn off shotgun – as well as 1.33kg of amphetamine, 22.9kg of benzocaine (a recognised cocaine cutting agent), 8.775 litres of gamma-butyrolactone (GBL), and digital scales containing traces of cocaine.

A further 25kg package of benzocaine being shipped to Jones from Hong Kong was also intercepted by the UK Border Force at Coventry Airport.

One of the firearms recovered – a Sauer ‘side by side’ double-barrelled shotgun – was stolen in a burglary at a farm in Cocknage, near Stoke-on-Trent in June 2014.

The court heard that Jones was later spotted driving a Vauxhall Insignia near his home in Perton, south Staffordshire on 9 October 2017.

A police officer spotted Jones leaving his car and reaching behind a cable box in Roundway Down, Perton. Jones attempted to get away but was detained and his vehicle and home address in Cheshire Grove were searched where cocaine, bundles of cash and digital scales were recovered.

Detectives worked to piece together evidence from phone records, searches and interviews leading to the arrest of Ramandeep Singh, described as Jones’s ‘relief manager’ and street dealers Harpreet Johal, Jamie Sinclair, Colin Brown and Alex Wootton.

Jones, who enjoyed an expensive lifestyle including first-class trips to Dubai, entered guilty pleas at Stafford Crown Court in May for the following offences:
• Conspiracy to supply cocaine between 1 June 2015 and 31 December 2015.
• Possess with intent to supply amphetamine on 29 December 2015.
• Conspiracy to supply Gamma-butyrolactone (GBL) between 1 June 2015 and 1 December 2015.
• Intentionally encourage /assist the commission of an either way offence (importing / offering for sale Benzocaine which was capable of encouraging / assisting the commission of an either way offence, namely the supply of cocaine) between 1 June 2015 and 31 December 2015.
• Possess a shotgun without certificate 29 December 2015.
• Possess self-loading / pump action smooth bore gun 29 December 2015.
• Conspiracy to import Gamma-butyrolactone (GBL) between 1 June 2015 and 31 December 2015.
• Acquire / use / possess criminal property (£43,444.02) between 7 January 2015 and 6 May 2016.
• Conspiracy to import a firearm between 1 June 2015 and 31 December 2015.
• Possess with intent to supply Cocaine on 9 October 2018.

Colin Brown, Sinclair and Wootton all pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply cocaine.

Harpreet Johal was found guilty of conspiracy to supply cocaine and Ramandeep Singh was found guilty of conspiracy to supply cocaine and Gamma butylactone, both at Stafford Crown Court.

All except Jones were jailed on 30 September at Stafford Crown Court.

Detective Sergeant James Byrne, of Staffordshire Police, said: “Christopher Jones will be known to most people in south Staffordshire as Ricky Bates. He ran a drugs supply operation bringing cocaine and a host of other illegal substances to the streets of south Staffordshire and the West Midlands.

“It is concerning that he was found in possession of two firearms and was involved in a conspiracy to import further ones from Albania. We are glad the result of our detectives’ painstaking work in building this complex case is that Jones and his associates are now behind bars.”

Christopher Jones, 32, of Cheshire Grove, Perton, was sentenced to a total of 18.5 years broken down to:
• Conspiracy to supply cocaine between 1 June 2015 and 31 December 2015. Seven and a half years consecutive
• Possess with intent to supply cocaine on 9 October 2018. 12 months consecutive
• Possess with intent to supply amphetamine on 29 December 2015. 11 months (concurrent)
• Conspiracy to supply Gamma-butyrolactone (GBL) between 1 June 2015 and 1 December 2015. Nine months consecutive
• Conspiracy to import Gamma-butyrolactone (GBL) between 1 June 2015 and 31 December 2015. Nine months (concurrent)
• Intentionally encourage/assist the commission of an either way offence (importing/offering for sale Benzocaine which was capable of encouraging/assisting the commission of an either way offence, namely the supply of cocaine) between 1 June 2015 and 31 December 2015. Nine months consecutive
• Acquire/use/possess criminal property (£43,444.02) between 7 January 2015 and 6 May 2016. Two years (concurrent)
• Possess self-loading/pump action smooth bore gun 29 December 2015. Five years consecutive
• Conspiracy to import a firearm between 1 June 2015 and 31 December 2015. Three and a half years consecutive
• Possess a shotgun without certificate 29 December 2015. 22 months (concurrent)

Ramandeep Singh, 35, of Stafford Road, Wolverhampton, was sentenced to six years for conspiracy to supply cocaine and five months concurrent for conspiracy to supply gamma-butyrolactone.

Harpreet Johal, 49, of Duckhouse Road, Wolverhampton, was sentenced to five years three months for conspiracy to supply cocaine.

Jamie Sinclair, 38, of Mansard Grove, Wolverhampton, was sentenced to four years four months for conspiracy to supply cocaine.

Alex Wootton, 22, of Church Road, Wolverhampton, was sentenced to 20 months for conspiracy to supply cocaine.

Colin Brown, 37, in prison, was sentenced to a further two months added to a four year six month sentence already being served for conspiracy to supply cocaine.