Nine people have been jailed after dawn raids uncovered a £1million drug operation back in January of last year
The nine were sentenced to total of 68 years and 4 months at Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court after pleading guilty at an earlier hearing.
Early morning raids were carried out in Stockport and the surrounding areas as part of work by GMP’s Stockport Challenger team who crack down on organised crime in communities and act on intelligence received from the public.
Between August 2015 and January 2017, a multi-faceted drugs operation, which centred on four dedicated telephone lines for drug supply, saw two of the gang Craig Reid and Benjamin McGreevy receive weekly deliveries of heroin and crack cocaine, which they stored in safe houses.
Once the delivery had been made, it was split into individual wraps and distributed by a third member Nathan Waul to Robert Marshall, John Cheetham and Greg Goodall who would use one of three dedicated ‘drug lines’ to sell the drugs on the streets.
Waul would then meet with the street dealers at the end of their ‘shift’ and return the proceeds to Reid and McGreevy.
In just one year of this comprehensive operation, it’s estimated the group had made £1million.
The group would regularly dispose of their phones to evade detection, but following the loss of one of the most lucrative ‘drug lines’, another gang member Terry Corless was caught on CCTV attempting to reactivate the line.
Then, when a kilo of heroin could not be accounted for, McGreevy attacked a man with a metal bar in the middle of the A6.
Thanks to information from the public and close working partnerships with other agencies, the officers from Challenger were able to pinpoint several addresses as being involved in the conspiracy and in the early hours of a January morning, they forcefully gained entry and arrested those involved.
Officers recovered the following evidence during the raids,£21,122 in cash, 67 wraps of heroin and 36 wraps of crack cocaine
Detective Constable Lee McCarthy of GMP’s Stockport Challenger Team, said: “This was a seemingly well-oiled operation that resulted in thousands of pounds worth of drugs flooding the streets but today has made it clear drugs have no place on our streets and we are committed to making that a reality.
“Every person had a part to play in securing and supplying these drugs, showing a complete disregard for the lives of the people they were putting in danger.
“My only hope is that this will act as a call to action for those who know about drugs and organised crime in their community – if you know something, tell us so we can stop it.”
The sentences are as follows
Craig Reid aged 36 of Woodland Road, Burnage has been sentenced to 10 years 8 months for conspiracy to supply Class A drugs.
Benjamin McGreevy aged 35 of Plymouth Grove, Cheadle Heath has been sentenced to 19 years and 8 months for conspiracy to supply Class A drugs and GBH.
Nathan Waul aged of Station Road, Reddish has been sentenced to 6 years 8 months for conspiracy to supply Class A drugs.
Paul Higgins aged 48 of Houldsworth Street, Stockport has been sentenced to 6 years for conspiracy to supply Class A drugs.
Gillian Griffin aged 46 of Houldsworth Street, Stockport has been sentenced to 5 years 4 months for conspiracy to supply Class A drugs.
Terry Corless aged 51 of Bridgend Close, Gorton has been sentenced to 1 year 4 months for participating in the criminal activities of an organised crime group.
John Cheetham aged 38 of Cabot Place, Reddish has been sentenced to 6 years 8 months for conspiracy to supply Class A drugs.
Robert Goodall aged 35 of Gorton Road, Reddish has been sentenced to 6 years for conspiracy to supply Class A drugs.
Greg Marshall aged 36 of Greg Street, Reddish has been sentenced to 6 years for conspiracy to supply Class A drugs.
