5:55pm Friday 12th March 2010
A FLACKWELL Heath man has been sentenced to 14 years in prison over a £1m cocaine deal.
Gary Crawford, 53, of Kings Road was with two men, George Chettle, 24, and Phillip Dodd, 52, who were arrested by police at a petrol station in Chester.
Chettle’s silver Ford Mondeo was parked alongside Dodd’s white Volkswagen van when the trio were arrested by armed police at Tabley services on July 25.
Police found 19,038 grams of cocaine, with a purity ranging from 24 to 44 per cent.
Crawford was also given a concurrent sentence of four years for possessing criminal property after police found notes wrapped in plastic amounting to £73,145 at his home.
Chettle and Dodd pleaded guilty. Crawford denied the charges but was found guilty after a four-day trial.
DC Jim Bowbeer, from Cheshire Police eastern area CID, said: “The incident shows once again how the distribution networks are part of serious organized crime.
“Large amounts of drugs are sold, moved into an area and then channelled down through dealers.
“The drugs end up in the hands of those who ply their trade on street corners or from their homes.
“The arrest of these men not only removed a link in that chain but prevented a large amount of illegal drugs going out on to the streets, making big profits for the criminal gangs behind the trade.”
DS Rob Balfour added: “Offenders involved in this sort of criminality are not investigated simply for the drug dealing offences.
“In this case huge amounts of money are involved, not only the value of the cocaine, but the amount of cash seized.
“We are also looking into the entire financial backgrounds of these men. We will apply to the courts for the forfeit of all income and assets that they cannot show were legitimately earned or paid for.
“Any money that has been earned through criminal behaviour will be recovered. Offenders cannot be allowed to profit from their illegal behaviour.”
Dodd, of Beswick, Manchester, was sentenced to nine years, and Chettle, 24, from Battersea, South London, was sentenced to eight years.
They were sentenced yesterday at Chester Crown Court for possessing class A drugs with intent to supply.
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