Six gang members ran multi-million-pound drugs empire in Scunthorpe

Six gang members ran a multi-million-pound drugs empire in Scunthorpe. The deceitful and illicit organised crime group was involved in producing and distributing class C drugs across the community.

Now they are due to be sentenced following an investigation lasting over four years. The six appeared at Hull Crown Court on Monday, June 3, after being charged for their involvement in using industrial units to produce Etizolam tablets, making an estimated street value of six million pounds.

Five pleaded guilty at this appearance, with the sixth being found guilty on Monday, June 24.

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• Anthony Florides, 33 years old, of Morley Road, Scunthorpe was charged with conspiracy to produce a class C drug and conspiracy to supply a class C drug. He entered a not guilty plea and following a three-week trial, a jury found him guilty of the offences.

• Jack Ford, 34 years old, of Fairfield Road, Scunthorpe pleaded guilty to conspiracy to produce a class C drug and conspiracy to supply a class C drug.

• Abigail Comerford, 34 years old, of Peacock Street, Scunthorpe pleaded guilty to conspiracy to produce a class C drug and conspiracy to supply a class C drug.

• James Raithby, 29 years old, of Ashby Road, Scunthorpe pleaded guilty to conspiracy to produce a class C drug and conspiracy to supply a class C drug.

• John McCallum, 38 years old, of Glen Bervie, East Kilbride, Glasgow pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply a class C drug.

• Luke Jones, 31 years old, of Somerset Walk, Milton Keynes, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to produce a class C drug.

Led by a team of experienced detectives, an investigation was launched in 2019 after officers identified that a number of people had been playing integral roles in an organised crime group by producing and supplying class C drugs.
Etizolam is a class C controlled drug and is described as a synthetic which is designed to imitate the effects of other Benzodiazepines such as Nitrazepam or Diazepam, however, is believed to be ten times stronger and has been responsible for an increase in deaths in Scotland.

Following initial enquiries into the gangs’ activities, two industrial units on Winterton Road in Scunthorpe began to draw the attention of officers. Officers quickly established how the group operated and how they arranged for class C drugs to be produced and distributed within communities.

Detective Sergeant Chris Grocock from the Serious and Organised Crime Unit said: “From Wednesday 9 October 2019, CCTV enquiries showed the group’s movements at one of the units on Winterton Road. Jack Ford, Abigail Comerford, Anthony Florides and Luke Jones were all present at the unit throughout the day and were seen carrying large sacks from Florides’ vehicle into the premises. It was then identified that the unit was being used to manufacture Etizolam tablets.

“The following day, Thursday 10 October, officers monitored the group’s activity, and spotted McCallum driving a van along the A1 where he was stopped by officers from West Yorkshire Police. Upon searching the van, officers discovered 14 large white sacks which contained yellow and white tablets.

“The sacks were seized by officers and McCallum was subsequently arrested at the scene. As a result of extensive forensic analysis of the seizures, the sacks were found to contain approximately 1,487,193 of tablets worth an estimated £743,000. These were forensically tested and found to contain Etizolam, a class C controlled drug.”

Following extensive mobile phone data analysis, McCallum’s mobile showed that the phone had been in Scotland the day before (Wednesday, October 9) and travelled to Scunthorpe in the early morning of Thursday, October 10. Through further CCTV enquiries and telephone data analysis, it was established that McCallum had loaded his vehicle with the drugs and was intending to drive back to Scotland, had he not been stopped by officers along the way.

This led to him being charged and remanded in connection with his involvement. Shortly after McCallum’s arrest, police carried out a series of searches and arrest attempts for suspects who were believed to be linked to the industrial units on Winterton Road, including various premises in the Scunthorpe area.

Another man was arrested by officers at a property on Wentworth Road on suspicion of being concerned in the supply of a controlled drug. Whilst searching the premise on Wentworth Road, officers recovered an encrypted phone and approximately £4275.48 in cash. This resulted in officers conducting searches at two units at Winterton Road.

After searching both units, officers discovered a sophisticated tablet production unit, comprising three industrial rotary tablet machines capable of producing 320,000 tablets per hour. They also found associated package machines and over 950kgs of fake printed labelling with various different controlled drugs, including Diazepam.

Officers also discovered further large quantities of white powder throughout the units, including a further 416,000 etizolam tablets, worth an estimated £208,000. Jack Ford and Abigail Comerford were both arrested on Thursday 10 October having been identified as being regular attendees at these units.

Extensive CCTV analysis continued and Comerford and Ford were found to be attending the units daily, regularly being seen with their clothes covered in powder. This led to them both being charged.

Raithby and Florides were later identified, and both arrested in November 2019 at their home addresses. Each was interviewed by detectives about their role in the organised crime group. Both were later charged in connection with their involvement.

On Monday, June 24, a jury returned a guilty verdict for Florides and he, alongside Ford, Comerford, Raithby, McCallum and Jones will be sentenced at a later date.

A seventh person, Craig Thompson, 34 years old, from Scunthorpe was also arrested and charged with conspiracy to produce a class C drug and conspiracy to supply a class C drug, however he has been acquitted by the jury and has now been released.

Detective Sergeant Chris Grocock leading the investigation into the group’s activity said: “This was a lengthy and highly complex investigation, targeting drug production and supply on an unprecedented scale. The drugs and equipment show the sheer scale of how this group were operating and would have continued to do so, had all six not been arrested and the seizure of drugs not taken place.

“This investigation should send a clear message, that this type of illegal and harmful activity will not be tolerated and we will do everything we can to put you before the courts. Thanks to the hard work and dedication of Humberside Police officers and staff, this large-scale drug production unit has been dismantled, safeguarding the public nationwide.

“We recognise the impact drugs have in our communities, and we are absolutely committed to investigating these thoroughly. I would continue to encourage anyone with any information that may assist in us building the bigger picture, to please get in touch.”

Original artice: https://www.grimsbytelegraph.co.uk/all-about/scunthorpe