Organised crime gang that sold cocaine 'dismantled'

The "key players" in an organised crime gang that sold cocaine on the streets of North Yorkshire have been jailed.

Gavin Tuohey, Rhys Morgan, Jamal Lazrak, Max Haigh, Olivia Heppell and Luke Atkin were all sentenced at Bradford Crown Court on Tuesday for conspiring to supply Class A drugs.

Police said the gang moved "vast amounts" of cocaine during 2022 and 2023 and ringleader Touhey was found to have £43,000 worth of the drug on him when stopped.

A North Yorkshire Police spokesperson said it was a "large and detailed investigation" that led to the organised crime gang being "dismantled."

They added: "In doing so we’ve stopped tens of thousands of pounds of high-purity drugs hitting the streets."

The force's organised crime unit seized a "huge haul" of cocaine worth more than £50,000 on two separate occasions, including a kilo of it found in Tuohey's backpack.

The 46-year-old was caught after he was stopped by police as he travelled from Leeds to Tadcaster in a taxi.

The court also heard that recovered text messages showed he would "threaten and intimidate" other members of the gang when they did not pay their debts for the cocaine he had supplied.

Tuohey, of Tadcaster, was jailed for nine years and three months.

His "sidekick" Rhys Morgan, who deputised for Tuohey when he was on holiday, used a relative's house to stash drugs in, the court also heard.

The 26-year-old, of Rockcliffe Court, Tadcaster, was jailed for eight years.

Jamal Lazrak, 29, of Marston Avenue, York, was said to be a "top contact" and was supplied with cocaine that could be broken down further for onward supply.

He was jailed for eight years and three months.

Drug dealer Max Haigh, 23, of Wheatdale Road, Tadcaster, was jailed for six years and four months.

Olivia Heppell, 27, of Spindle Close, York, acted as a driver for the gang and was jailed for two years, suspended for two years.

Meanwhile Luke Atkin, 37, another supplier of cocaine, fled the UK before his trial started and a warrant has been issued for his arrest.

In his absence, the 37-year-old, of Camberwell Drive, Warrington, was jailed for ten years.

Luke Jenkins, 33, of Leeds, pleaded guilty at a previous hearing in March and was sentenced to 10 years on an earlier date.

Another defendant is due to be sentenced at a later date after police arrested him and found drugs with a potential street value of almost £6,500 hidden in his underwear.

All the defendants pleased guilty to conspiring to supply Class A drugs.

Det Con Leah Kitchen, of North Yorkshire Police’s Organised Crime Unit, said: "The key players have received significant prison sentences that reflect the seriousness of their crimes but also take them out of circulation for a number of years, which can only be a good thing for communities in Tadcaster and York."

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