A drug gang who supplied cannabis and cocaine to children in the North West has been taken down.
Lancashire Police launched an investigation into the selling of drugs in Darwen after being tipped off that children were being exploited into taking illegal substances.
The gang’s head, Usman Akhter, controlled a sophisticated network bringing hundreds of kilos of cocaine and cannabis into the region.
READ MORE: 'Fun loving' boy, 2, dies in accident
As part of the investigation police raided 25 addresses – including properties in Darwen, Blackburn and Northwich in Cheshire – in May and June and a large quantity of suspected cocaine and cannabis was recovered.
Officers also seized a number of vehicles and weapons.
While many of the properties used by the gang in the UK were unobtrusive and modest, a villa in Marbella, where Akhter based himself, showed the more lavish trappings of the conspiracy.
Last month Akhter was jailed for 13 years along with other members of the gang, including one man from Ellesmere Port.
Inspector Martin Melvin, from the East Exploitation Team, said: “We are committed to tackling and disrupting drug-dealing activity and protecting vulnerable members of society.
"This operation was launched directly on the back of concerns raised by members of the public and I would encourage anyone concerned about criminal activity in their area to contact the police, knowing that we will act on that information and take the appropriate action.”
Gang members included; Mark Hopwood of Shepherd’s Close, Ellesmere Port who was jailed for five years for conspiracy to import and supply cannabis, Michael Ryan Young, Alexandra Mews, Blackburn four years and six months for conspiracy to supply cannabis and being concerned in the supply of cocaine and Samuel Howard of Duckworth Street, Darwen, two years and eight months for conspiracy to produce and supply cannabis.
Jack Beeke of Church Terrace, Darwen, Mark Jeal of Pilmuir Road, Blackburn and Clare Lester of Duckworth Street, Darwen were all given suspended prison sentences.
Anyone with concerns about drug-dealing or any other criminal activity in their area can call police on 101 or 999 in an emergency.
Alternatively, Crimestoppers can be contacted, in confidence, on 0800 555 111 or online at crimestoppers.org
Receive newsletters with the latest news, sport and what's on updates from the Liverpool ECHO by signing up here
