Two Nottinghamshire criminals who helped facilitate one of the largest county lines drug gangs in the East Midlands are part of a group of 22 people jailed for 100 years between them.
Leigh McCulloch and Rebecca Griffiths, both from Rainworth, Mansfield, helped with the supply of class A drug during an almost country-wide enterprise - which stretched from Liverpool to Leicester as well as across Nottinghamshire and Lincolnshire.
Griffiths, 40, of Preston Road, helped facilitate the drug trade in our county by allowing her premises to be used as a hub for the dealings. She was jailed for six months, suspended for 12 months, and put on a curfew following a trial at Leicester Crown Court.
McCulloch, 34, of Denbigh Close, helped supply class A drugs for the enterprise and was jailed for five years and three months.
The trial started after officers investigating the group arrested one of the enterprise's kingpins, Kevin Duncalf, who had been wanted by police for a number of unrelated drug crimes.
Duncalf, 35, of Vogan Avenue, Crosby, Liverpool, supplied cocaine from Liverpool while he was wanted, living a "lavish lifestyle" in the process. The fact he was wanted did not deter him from continuing with his life of crime.
When he was arrested, officers found recordings on his mobile showing his lifestyle, including staying in hotels while counting large sums of money on a cash counting machine.
Officers recovered cash and designer clothing from his home when they executed a warrant last summer.
The investigation also identified Ashley Boyd and Clint Jones as the brains behind the business-like operation.
Both men were part of an organised criminal network, dealing drugs and making money from the misery of drugs.
Jones, 42, of Market Garden Close, Thurmaston, was one of the main Leicester suppliers and when officers executed a warrant at his home, they found more than £57,000 in cash. He was jailed for nine years.
Boyd, 34, of Chapel Close, Houghton on the Hill, Leicestershire, was jailed for ten years for his part in the enterprise.
Others jailed in the enterprise were based across the East Midlands, including in Boston, Lincolnshire, and Syston, Charnwood, Melton and Sileby, all Lincolnshire.
Inspector Lee Hunt, East Midlands Special Operations Unit Detective, said: “Between them these individuals will now serve more than 100 years behind bars. The conviction and subsequent sentences show how seriously we and the courts take these crimes.
“These criminals were part of an organised network who operated not just in Leicestershire but Nottinghamshire, Lincolnshire and Liverpool. During the enforcement we executed more than 50 warrants across those counties and cities.
“This was a significant operation for us but our work doesn’t end here. We know there is always someone waiting to the fill the gap left by others and we will continue in our efforts to stop the misuse of drugs and carry out further operations of the nature to disrupt the criminal activity.”
