Drug Ring's £1M Monthly Cocaine Trade Smashed

A professional drug gang, employing sophisticated tactics to supply cocaine valued at over £1 million per month, has received a combined sentence of 74 years. Their operation was exposed when law enforcement infiltrated the encrypted messaging network used by the conspirators.

Investigations revealed two distinct plots to supply class A drugs in the North East of England. Scott Fawcett was identified as a ringleader in one conspiracy, with Daniel Chambers acting as a lieutenant. Mark Baird and David Emmerson served as couriers and storemen, handling cash and adulterating drugs. This group was entrusted with an EncroChat device during their involvement.

A second, highly organized conspiracy involved Scott Fawcett, Daniel Chambers, Anthony Wilson, Michael Wakenshaw, Jesse McIver, and Alan McLaughlin. This group engaged in wholesale drug dealing, exchanging hundreds of thousands of pounds in cocaine and cash. Evidence indicated a well-established cocaine wholesale business operating before the network's infiltration.

The gang supplied at least 38 kilograms of cocaine, with 34kg alone valued at £1.3 million between late March and late April 2020. Roles within this group included lieutenants, couriers with additional responsibilities, and wholesale customers. Thomas Foggin was also implicated following a police raid that uncovered a cannabis farm and a hidden handgun with ammunition, with his DNA found on the firearm and its components.

Sentencing the individuals at Newcastle Crown Court, Judge Julie Clemitson emphasized the severe societal damage caused by drug misuse, citing immeasurable human and financial costs. The sentences aim to deter others from engaging in similar serious organized criminality that ruins lives and devastates communities.