Drugs kingpin jailed for 15 years

A man who ran a drug-dealing empire in the north of England has been jailed for 15 years.

Adam Oakley, 39, was at the head of a "significant" organised crime network, Newcastle Crown Court heard.

He was caught after two women making a drugs run between Newcastle and Cumbria were intercepted by police.

He admitted conspiring to supply cocaine and heroin, while two other men connected to the operation were also jailed.

Oakley's "trusted" associates Richard Elmore, 33, and Callum Craggs, 27, were jailed for six years and three years five months after admitting conspiracy to supply class A drugs and money laundering respectively.

Sentencing the gang, Judge Stephen Earl said the men were part of a "very significant organised crime distribution network" which had been "running for some time".

The gang was infiltrated by investigators after two women were stopped by police on 3 February 2022 while driving back to Newcastle from Cumbria having delivered 1kg of cocaine.

Officers found more than £20,000 cash in the car and the two women's phones were seized, which allowed investigators to retrieve "valuable data" on the gang.

Both women were subsequently jailed for 32 months each, the court heard.

Detectives spent months covertly observing the gang and gathering evidence of the "large scale distribution of cocaine and heroin", the judge said.

When officers made their move, they seized 14kg of cocaine and more than £600,000 in cash.

"The reality is there must be more beyond this," the judge said, adding: "It would be unconscionable the police have seen everything from moment one to arrest."

The court heard Oakley, of no fixed abode, had previously been jailed for drug dealing and was out on licence at the time of his latest offences.

The judge said a "significant deterrent sentence [was] appropriate" and, while he took account of Oakley's "personal family circumstances," it was the drug lord's choice to live a "life of serious crime".

Elmore, of Carnoustie Court in Whitley Bay, had a "management function" in the operation and was close to Oakley, the judge said.

Craggs, of Irthing Avenue, Walker, was "well-trusted" by Oakley and transported "large sums of money" and organised vehicles for him.

Det Ch Insp Daryll Tomlinson, of the North East Regional Organised Crime Unit, said: "This has been a significant operation which has not only seen numerous criminals face the consequences of their illicit actions but also resulted in a substantial amount of illegal drugs and criminal proceeds taken out of circulation."

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