A GANG of North East drug dealers who were involved in an international supply network have all been jailed.
The four men were key players in a supply network bringing dozens of kilos of cocaine into Teesside.
The most high-profile member of the gang was Army veteran-turned security boss John ‘Winky’ Watson who was involved in operations to flood the streets of Guisborough and east Middlesbrough area with Class A drugs.
And now, Watson, Steven Beazley, and Craig Costello, were all convicted of conspiracy to supply Class A drugs following a lengthy trial at Teesside Crown Court.
Leading gang member, David Wright, admitted his role in the organisation and pleaded guilty after a number of drug-related items were recovered from properties connected to the ‘significant’ member of the gang.
Police made the initial breakthrough in October 2015 when 2kg of cocaine was seized but the gang continued to bring the Class drug from Liverpool and Manchester.
They were the latest to face justice following one of Cleveland Police’s longest-running investigations – codenamed Operation Spoonbill.
It was a fall from grace for Watson, who ran his own security business targeting criminals and offering people peace of mind with his own brand of protection.
The 41-year-old appeared on national television boasting about his crackdown on crime all the while he was at the centre of a North East gang shipping drugs into the region.
Stephen McNally, prosecuting, said the gang was not directly involved in the importation of Class A drugs they were all in regular contact with a Liverpool-based drug gang headed by Lance Kennedy.
The North West gang used helicopters to bring the drugs into the country before being supplied to a number of ‘customers’ in the North East, including this group of dealers.
Mr McNally added: “The four defendants were a distinct customer group for the importation group and their couriers. The courier deliveries were regular, frequent and would suggest that the demand and turnover was clearly high due to that extensive traffic.”
The court heard how the gang were in regular contact with Kennedy’s crew and there was evidence of at least 20 drug drop-offs between 2015 and when police swooped on members of the respective groups.
Mr McNally said a search of a property connected to Wright recovered drugs paraphernalia, including digital scales and a blender containing traces of cocaine.
Police found evidence of Wright leading a luxurious lifestyle with a number of Rolex watches; electric bikes, tens of thousands of pounds and a cash counting machine, all seized from his addresses.
Watson, of Moorgate, Eston; 40-year-old Beazley, of Barmouth Road, Eston; Wright, 43, of Steele Crescent in South Bank all appeared before Judge Howard Crowson for sentence.
While 39-year-old Costello, of Chesterfield Drive in Marton, Middlesbrough, failed to attend court after fleeing the country.
Conor Quinn, representing Wright, said his client was a ‘dogsbody’ for the gang and collected cash and stored drugs at his properties.
He said Wright was also suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder after serving with the armed forces in Bosnia and Kosovo.
David Taylor, representing the absent Costello, denied the father-of-four played a ‘leading role’ as he was absent for long periods during the conspiracy.
Tom Worden, representing Beazley, said there was no evidence that his client was aware of the drugs bring flown into the country and was not always involved in the deliveries from couriers.
Henry Hughes, speaking on behalf of Watson, said client was ‘uniquely’ the only person who had no contact with the couriers and was simply friends with the other three defendants.
He said there was no evidence he touched any drugs or benefited from the money made from selling cocaine and may have been used by his friends as ‘muscle’ and ‘back-up’.
Judge Crowson sentenced all four to lengthy custodial sentences.
He told the defendants they had all played a role in supplying cocaine to countless people across the area.
Wright was jailed for eight years and seven months; Costello was sentenced to nine years and six months in his absence; Beazley was jailed for seven years; and Watson was sentenced to six years.
The operation has already seen 27 other people convicted in separate trials, receiving a combined total of 262 years’ imprisonment.
Cleveland Police estimates that 500kgs of cocaine with a wholesale value of £17.25 million were smuggled into the UK.
The force’s inquiries resulted in the recovery of - £347,603.41p cash; 20 kilos of cocaine; ten kilos of cannabis; 6,000 MDA tablets; and six kilos of amphetamine.
Senior Investigating Officer, Detective Chief Inspector Sarah Robinson from Cleveland Police’s Organised Crime, Economic and Cyber Crime Unit, said: “Cleveland Police is committed to identifying those involved in this criminality and bringing them to justice and the Organised Crime Unit works tirelessly to disrupt and dismantle the networks of those who seek to profit from drugs.
“Operation Spoonbill demonstrates Cleveland Police’s ability to tackle serious and organised crime at the highest level.”
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