Pictured: Man accused of being part of ‘Britain’s biggest drugs gang that imported 50 TONS of heroin, cocaine and cannabis hidden children’s juice drinks in lorries from Holland’
- Police said yesterday that they had uncovered a huge drug smuggling operation
- 13 men accused of a number of offences appeared in court in Manchester today
Vojtech Dano is among thirteen alleged members of what has been described as ‘Britain’s biggest drugs gang’
Thirteen men have appeared in court in relation to an alleged plan to import billions of heroin, cocaine and cannabis into the UK.
Police have said a gang smuggled in an estimated 50 tons of heroin, cocaine and cannabis hidden in fruit juice and vegetables in lorries from the Netherlands.
The accused men appeared in the dock in Manchester today and were the case would be transfered to the city’s Crown Court Crown Square next month.
A number of family members attended the hearing.
Vojtech Dano, who has posted photos of himself on social media, was among those who appeared in court today, along with his Dewsbury housemate Ivan Turtak, 33, who is also among those accused.
As well as them, Paul Green, 54, Sohail Quereshi, 59, from London, Mohammed Ovais, 41, from Manchester, Ghazanfar Mahmood, 48, from Bolton, and Ifthikar Hussain, 46, from Leeds, face four charges of conspiracy to import class a drugs and four to import class.
Police have released images of the children’s juice cartons the drugs were said to have
Meanwhile, Khaleed Vazeer, 56, from Manchester, Steven Martin, 48, from Bolton, Andrew Reilly, 38, from St Helens, Mark Peers, 55, from Warrington, Paul Ruane 53 from Warrington, and Oliver Penter, 37, from Stockport were told they faced two charges of conspiracy to import class a drugs and two to import class B drugs.
District judge Sam Goozee granted bail to Hussain, Dano, Turtak, Reilly and Ruane under strict conditions that they surrender their passports, check in at a local police station between midday and 2pm on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday, do not enter a airport, seaport or international train station and remain under curfew at their homes between 7pm and 7am.
They were also told not to contact anyone else in the case as well as two other individuals. The other eight men were remanded in custody.