A vicious cocaine ring, which used guns including an AK-47 assault rifle to ‘instil fear’ into a community and paid its members a ‘salary’ have been jailed.
The gang, based in Warrington, Cheshire, is the biggest ever uncovered in Cheshire raked in £290,000 profit-a-month supplying cocaine and cannabis.
Shocked police said its arsenal of weapons, including a pump-action shotgun and automatic pistols, was like ‘something out of a film’ and could have caused ‘devastation’
An arsenal of weapons used by the gang was recovered by police included a functioning AK-series rifle, a pump-action shotgun, automatic pistols and revolvers as well as a silencer
The Warrington-based cocaine ring, which is the biggest ever uncovered in Cheshire has been jailed for a total of 185 years. Last Friday at Liverpool Crown Court gang leaders Anthony Cullen, right, and Chris Houghton, left, were sentenced to 27 and 20 years respectively.
In total Cheshire Police seized £205,680.00 in cash during Operation Samurai.
Last Friday at Liverpool Crown Court gang leaders Anthony Cullen, 31, and Chris Houghton, 40, were sentenced to 27 and 20 years respectively.
Their 18 ‘foot soldiers’ and ‘lieutenants’ received sentences of up to 13 years and eight months, thanks to the police operation code-named ‘Samurai’.
Afterwards Geoffrey Fryar, of the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), said: ‘There was evidence that Cullen paid his ’employees’ wages.
‘Trusted members of the gang were provided with cars and accommodation. The bill for wages and rent on places to store drugs ran to £50,000 per month.’
Det Chief Insp Mike Evans, of Cheshire Police, said: ‘An influential and established organised crime group has been brought to justice and dismantled.
‘Their activity centred on wealth, intimidation and instilling fear into the local community.
‘Cullen ruled the roost and gave out orders.
‘He was clever and made sure he was one step removed from his crimes yet dealt with those who got in his way.
‘The money they made from drug dealing was huge but it came with many risks and dangers as their attention turned to the use of firearms and ammunition.
‘The cache seizure we recovered is the largest we have ever had in Cheshire..’
Officers from Cheshire Police’s Serious Organised Crime Unit (SOCU) were responsible for uncovering the gang’s crimes.
Cullen and his gang operated in Warrington, Winsford, in Cheshire, and also Bangor in North Wales.
Ringleader Cullen’s operation was described by police as ‘risky and often nasty’ as he and his associates – Chris Houghton, Sean Ryan, Jason Eastens and Michael Mason – began using firearms to protect themselves and intimidate others.
In total Cheshire Police seized £205,680.00 in cash during Operation Samurai.
The gang is believed to have supplied 50kg (110lbs) of cocaine across the the North West of England and Wales.
The court heard that in July 2017 Cullen, Houghton, Mason and Eastens attempted to supply a Ruger handgun to a customer in Liverpool for up to £3,000.
But the handgun was found by police, wrapped in cling film in a bag at a house in Warrington just before it was due to be supplied.
The following day five guns including ammunition were recovered hidden in the loft of another address in Warrington.
While a further gun was found along with two bullets in a wicker basket at the foot of a bed – ready to be used if needed.
The arsenal recovered by police included a functioning AK-series rifle, revolvers and a silencer.
Cullen and his gang only dealt in cash to try and avoid detection.
For ‘budgeting’ they used hand-written notes and kept a record of who owed them money.
The so-called ‘tick lists’ included details of large transactions, debts and overheads as well as an outline of ‘wages’.
They also used multiple phone numbers and handsets, with Cullen alone using up to 16 different numbers to try and evade the police.
The gang racked up enormous cash profits of up to £290,000 per month supplying cocaine and cannabis. Some of the cash seized from the gang is pictured
The court heard gang member Sean Ryan once drove to Crewe to threaten two drug dealers who owed a debt with two bullets, a message used by criminals as a sign to pay up or else.
But Ryan was later stopped by police, who recovered the two bullets and a knife in his car.
He originally told officers he ‘found the bullets’ while out walking his dog.
In January 2017, Cullen’s associate Nigel Gerke was also found to be couriering cash in his car when involved in a collision with two other vehicles.
Cullen attempted to call Gerke while officers searched the car where they recovered £43,700 from inside a sports bag.
The jury were also shown CCTV footage of Cullen and Houghton buying a safe from B&Q in June 2017, which they used to store 1kg of cocaine at a house.
Det Chief Insp Evans added: ‘It is rare to recover a gun in our county but to seize six in one address is unheard of.
‘The significant sentences handed to Cullen and his associates are not only down to the dedication and commitment from the Serious Organised Crime Unit who led a long, complex investigation but to the local community who came forward with information.’
DCI Evans added: ‘The drugs and firearms taken off our streets have made our communities safer.
‘This can only continue if we make disrupting organised crime everybody’s business.
‘We cannot do this on our own.
‘People living in the local community are crucial in helping us to combat organised criminality and by working together we can make a real difference by disrupting those who bring fear onto our streets.
‘I would ask the public to look out for signs of organised crime and to report any concerns to us.’