Three members of an organised crime group who sought to flood the UK with millions of pounds worth of Class A drugs have been jailed.

Northumbria Police led the nationwide intelligence operation with the assistance of neighbouring Forces to uncover the illicit trading of 130 kilograms of Class A drugs in 2022.

Graham Welsh, Gary Jackson and Colin Cowie were today (Monday) at Newcastle Crown Court, sentenced to a combined total of four decades behind bars.

During the operation into the wider group’s activity, Northumbria Police recovered 50 kilograms of cocaine and 30 kilograms of methamphetamine. The commodity was collected in Sunderland by couriers for distribution around the country.

The drugs, with a potential street value of £11 million were recovered by officers from Northumbria Police and Cleveland Police, and the couriers were later sentenced at Newcastle Crown Court for possession with intent to supply cocaine and methylamphetamine.

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Welsh, 64, spearheaded the importation and supply of cocaine which saw him use a legitimate haulage company – MGW Haulages - to commit and mask their offending.

During 2022, Welsh, alongside his co-conspirators Cowie and Jackson, exploited the haulage company's European contracts to facilitate travel to the continent, where they diverted from legitimate business activities to collect and orchestrate the importation of significant quantities of cocaine into the United Kingdom.

Welsh, Jackson and Cowie arranged to import 50 kilograms of cocaine to be imported whilst on a business trip to France in July. Nottinghamshire Police pulled over a vehicle believed to be carrying the drugs after Cowie was spotted interacting with the vehicle at a truck stop in Markham Moor, Nottinghamshire. They discovered the drugs within two large boxes batches which had the estimated street value of £6 million. A bladed weapon was also seized.

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During the operation officers observed meetings between couriers in Bradford and Sheffield exchanging suspicious packages. Officers from West Yorkshire recovered a package containing £60,000 in cash from a delivery company van, on the M62 just outside of Greater Manchester.

In March 2023, the trio were arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to import Class A drugs. Welsh and Jackson were also arrested on suspicion of money laundering.

Further investigations and searches of properties uncovered £5,545 in cash at Jackson's address.

In the same month, the trio were each charged with one count of conspiracy to import cocaine and one count of conspiracy to supply cocaine.

Today they were sentenced at Newcastle Crown Court to the following:

• Welsh, 64, of Hylton Road, Sunderland, was sentenced to 16 years' imprisonment.
  •Jackson, 65, of Belstone Court, Sunderland, was sentenced to 15 years' imprisonment.
  • Cowie, 64, of Chamberlain Street, Blyth, was sentenced to nine years' imprisonment.

Speaking after the sentencing, Detective Chief Inspector Carol Young, of Northumbria Police said:

“This is one of the largest amounts of Class A drugs ever seized in our Force area.

“We have always made it clear that illicit substances such as cocaine and methamphetamine have no place in our communities.

“Both drugs are an incredibly addictive and destructive substance, and these dealers were aware of the illegalities and the damaging consequences of their actions.

"I'd like to thank our officers for their endless hard work and our colleagues in Cleveland, West Yorkshire, Nottinghamshire and Greater Manchester for their assistance, who carried out stops which proved vital to our investigation.

"Under the banner of Operation Sentinel, we'll continue to disrupt serious and organised crime and keep these substances off the streets."

Anyone with information about suspected criminality can get in touch by sending us a direct message on social media, using the live chat function on our website, or by visiting the 'Report' section of our website.

For those unable to contact the Force in these ways, call 101.