£2.5m Drug Gang Sentenced

Seven members of a gang responsible for bringing £2.5m worth of illegal drugs into Northern Ireland have been sentenced at Belfast Crown Court.

The PSNI’s Organised Crime Branch, which launched the investigation, codenamed Operation Saggital, in 2010, believes today’s sentencing at Belfast Crown Court has dismantled the gang.

The seven defendants were sentenced after admitting their roles in the supply of class A, B and C drugs into Northern Ireland.

£900,000 of cannabis was seized from a lorry and a taxi in the Duncrue Road area of Belfast in October 2010. Two men were arrested.

£500,000 of herbal cannabis was seized after three vehicles were stopped at Apollo Road in Belfast in December 2010. Three men were arrested, including 29-year-old Ryan Black, who police say was the leader of the gang.

Cannabis and cocaine worth £1.1m was seized in a raid on an apartment at Laganview Court in Belfast in December 2010. Following further enquiries, police arrested a further two members of the gang.

Organised Crime Branch Detective Superintendent Philip Marshall said: "This was a lengthy and complex proactive investigation into an organised crime gang which was bringing large quantities of controlled drugs into Northern Ireland.

"We have secured convictions against the gang leader and his deputy as well as their couriers and the individual responsible for mixing the cocaine. Working with colleagues in East Midlands Special Operations Unit, we have swept away a web of illegal drug supply covering Northern Ireland and part of England.

"The gang leader, Ryan Black, believed he could direct the activities of the gang from a safe distance and escape the reach of the law. But the investigation by Organised Crime Branch was of such a comprehensive and forensic nature that his plan failed. Both the gang leader and his associates have been made amenable.

"In Northern Ireland we have dismantled a gang responsible for large scale drugs importation. Organised Crime Branch will continue to work with local communities and colleagues in law enforcement, in this jurisdiction and around the world, to ensure Northern Ireland is a hostile environment for those who seek to make money by manufacturing, importing or distributing controlled drugs.

"I would commend the work of my colleagues in Organised Crime Branch Silver Team for their perseverance and professionalism in bringing this gang to justice and helping to make Northern Ireland safer."

(IT/CD)