Drugs gang sent to prison for more than 150 years

A drugs gang has been sentenced to more than 150 years behind bars at Newport Crown Court this week.  20 men from across South Wales, and English cities including Liverpool, Gloucester and Plymouth were arrested and brought to justice as part of Operation Jackdaw, a Tarian operation targeting a conspiracy involving the supply and distribution of Heroin.

Sean Doolan, 32, ran an Organised Crime Group (OCG) based in Liverpool which was involved in the distribution of 150 kilograms of Heroin to various parts of the United Kingdom worth an estimated street value of £14 million.

The distribution network of the OCG included Cardiff, Newport, Gloucester, Plymouth and Hartlepool.

Doolan employed a network of couriers to distribute the heroin and deliver cash from the customers to him and his trusted lieutenant Francis Westhead in Liverpool. The couriers made in excess of 60 journeys to Liverpool over a seven month period.

One of Doolan’s customers from Newport was Kieran Lewis.  Lewis was investigated for a further conspiracy as he supplied heroin to a Newtown (Powys) based customer Samuel Lewis.

As the net closed on the OCG officers from Tarian, the Regional Organised Crime Unit for southern Wales carried out a series of raids.  In May last year six kilograms of heroin was seized from an address in Newport which was forensically linked back to the Sean Doolan OCG.

In July 2018, Ryan Gifford from Caerphilly, was arrested returning from Liverpool in possession of 2½ kilograms of heroin.

On the 25^th August 2018, Craig Morgan, from Cardiff, was arrested returning from Liverpool in possession of 3½ kilograms of heroin and a kilogram of adulterant.

On 12^th October 2018, Raymond Lee, from Plymouth, was arrested returning from Liverpool in possession of five kilograms of heroin.  Later that month (29^th October) two Newport men, Robert McLean and Ryan Morgan were arrested returning from Liverpool in possession of two kilograms of heroin and on the 27^th November Dale Millar (from Gloucester) was also arrested. During a search of his house, two kilograms of heroin was seized.

Detective Inspector Grant Wilson of Tarian, said: “There is a human cost to the trade of supplying drugs, and we will work tirelessly to stop this.  I cannot over-emphasise the dangers of heroin and the harm it can cause to the community as a whole.  It is good to know that these criminals are now behind bars and unable to continue profiting from the misery their trade brings to our neighbourhoods.

“Tarian will continue to work tirelessly alongside other law enforcement agencies to target those involved in the illegal drugs trade and bring them before the Courts.

“I urge anyone with information or suspicions to call 101, or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111, to tell us what they know. As this case shows, someone who is perceived to be a small-time criminal can often be linked to a much larger operation, and the smallest bit of information can sometimes be the missing piece of the puzzle for our officers.”