Drug gang jailed for total of 45 years

Seven people were sentenced to a total of 45 years in prison yesterday (September  8) after an 18 month long investigation by detectives and one of the biggest armed police operations ever seen in Bedfordshire.
 
The sentencing hearing at Luton Crown Court heard they were seven of the major players heavily involved in an organised crime gang which called itself 'Workout'.
 
Based mostly at Lewsey Farm and Hockwell Ring, they supplied drugs in Luton and Leighton Buzzard.
 
The sentencing hearing was the final part of Operation Paddle, which started in spring 2009 with intelligence coming in that Mark Birch was sourcing wholesale quantities of drugs and controlled the distribution and receipt of proceeds.
 
He was helped by younger brother Michael Birch (left), his cousin Cliveroy Birch and other friends who controlled specific areas of the 'business'.
 
Detectives put in place a plan which aimed to track who was involved in the Workout gang, what their roles were in it and the areas of the county they were supplying to. In spring 2009, the help of  undercover officers was enlisted in a test purchase operation.
 
Officers posed as drug users buying cocaine and heroin from members of the group at the lower end of the chain, tracking how phone lines used for ordering drugs linked the street dealers back to Mark Birch and his associates.
 
Officers soon found that the Lewsey Farm area was being controlled by the Workout group, one of whom was Cliveroy Birch. His associate was Niall McErlane (right).
 
McErlane, 20, from Moorland Gardens, Luton, was recently found guilty of murdering Houghton Regis resident Richard Long in a row about drugs.
 
He was originally charged in connection with his part in the Workout group, but after being sentenced to 26 years in prison for murder, the prosecution decided not to proceed with the drug supply case against McErlane and the charges are now lying on file.

The Operation Paddle team and the murder investigation team worked very closely together, pooling resources and cross-referencing evidence.

Ori Cyrille, from Wedgewood Road, Luton was supplying large amounts of crack and heroin to the Lewsey Farm estate as the primary street dealer in Lewsey Farm. He knew Cliveroy Birch.

Meanwhile, Michael Birch was replicating the same business model in Hockwell Ring, using Mohan Rahman and others, and Fabreece Mullins was controlling deals on behalf of Workout in Leighton Buzzard.

After painstaking analysis of evidence and intelligence, the investigation team decided to arrest as many of the gang as possible on September 10 last year.

They were known to carry weapons, and with McErlane now suspected of shooting Richard Long just a few days earlier, officers were taking no chances with safety.

Over 400 officers were involved at the arrest phase, many of them armed, in raids that took them to 23 properties in Luton, Stevenage, Milton Keynes and Leighton Buzzard.

During the raids a firearm, drugs and cash were found, and dangerous chemicals found at one flat – thought to be used in the production of drugs – necessitated the evacuation of all the residents until it was made safe.

Today Mark Birch, 24, of Chatsworth Court, Stevenage, was sentenced to 12 years in prison. He had earlier pleaded guilty to two counts of Conspiracy to Supply Class A Drugs (Cocaine and Diamorphine).

His girlfriend Alicia Murphy, 22, of the same address was given two years after pleading guilty to money laundering.

Michael Birch, 20, of Rush Court, Leighton Buzzard, was found guilty of supplying class A drugs in August after a trial and was sentenced to nine years in prison.

Cliveroy Birch, 20, of Park Street, Luton, was given six years in prison after he pleaded guilty to two counts of Conspiracy to Supply Class A Drugs.

Fabreece Mullins, 18, of Huckleberry Close, Walnut Tree, Milton  Keynes, pleaded guilty to two counts of Conspiracy to Supply Class A Drugs and was sentenced to seven years in prison.

Ori Cyrille, 19, of Wedgewood Road, Luton, pleaded guilty to two counts of Conspiracy to Supply Class A Drugs and was sentenced to five years.

Mohan Rahman, 23, of Strangers Way, Luton, pleaded guilty to two counts of Conspiracy to Supply Class A Drugs and was sentenced to six years.

DI Ged McCarthy, who led Operation Paddle, said it was one of a number of high level drug operations which have been carried in Bedfordshire in the last 12 months.

He said: "It takes many months to put together an operation of this nature, so sometimes it can appear as if the police are not aware of what is going on or not able to do anything about it.

"However, these results show that we can help, especially where members of the community have been so supportive of our work.

"We are always keen to hear from people who have information on where threats to a peaceful community life are coming from and we will act on them.

"Other crime groups are being investigated by us at the moment and these people are certainly not untouchable – they are just criminals who prey on the weak and deal in misery.”

One person has outstanding charges against him in respect of this operation and has failed to answer his bail or attend court for his trial.

Gary Burke, 22, of Osborne Road, Luton, has pleaded not guilty to two counts of Conspiracy to Supply Class A Drugs. He is now wanted by police and anyone who knows his whereabouts is asked to contact police immediately.

Crown Prosecution Service lawyer for Bedfordshire, Natalie Carter, said: “The members of this organised crime group were relatively young people, who became immersed in the world of drugs.

"The gang established a telephone ‘deal’ line in each of their locations. In Lewsey Farm they established a ‘Flextel’ line, which allows nominated phones to divert calls and enabled calls to be made to one well-known number and then diverted to the dealer.

"The telephone records provided key evidence in this investigation, which lasted some 18 months, as well as forensic evidence linking drugs seized from various premises.

“Partly due to the knowledge of this strong evidence, the defendants all pleaded guilty, with the exception of Michael Birch, who was convicted at trial on August 4. The sentences today reflect the seriousness of the crimes committed.

"The CPS will continue to work closely with the police to relentlessly investigate and prosecute those involved in drug dealing, which can lead to untimely deaths for many people. Ultimately, drugs will bring you down, one way or another.”

His Honour Judge Foster commended the bravery of the undercover officers who carried out the  test purchase operation and commended all of the officers and staff from the investigation team.

Information can be given to police anonymously via Crimestoppers on 0800 555111; or text Bedfordshire Police on 07786 200011; or email enquiries@bedfordshire.pnn.police.uk