A BIRSTALL man has been jailed for his part in the supply of class A drugs across the county as part of an organised crime gang.
Kevin Thomson of Ambergate Drive, was one of two gang members to have been jailed this week for their part in a major drugs operation, which shipped and delivered hauls of cocaine up and down the country.
The 45-year-old (pictured left), was sentenced to six years and seven months in prison, after pleading guilty to conspiracy to supply cocaine.
Sailesh Kumar, from Coventry was jailed for nine years and seven months after he pleaded guilty last year to the same offence.
Both men were part of an organised crime group whose activities unravelled after officers from East Midlands Special Operations Unit (EMSOU), supported by teams from across the force, executed more than 50 warrants in the summer of 2019. The enforcement activity took place across Leicestershire, Nottinghamshire, Lincolnshire and Liverpool.
38-year-old Kumar, was identified as the organiser who in February 2019 directed the exchange of more than two kilos of cocaine. He used Thomson as his courier to deliver the drugs to another member of the organised crime group.
The enforcement was codenamed – Operation Clubman – and led by Detective Inspector Lee Hunt from East Midlands Special Operations Unit (EMSOU).
DI Hunt said: “To date a number of individuals have been jailed for more than 165 years between them, those sentences are a testament to the vast amount of work that has gone into this operation.
“Officers have worked tirelessly on the evidence which has helped secure these convictions.
“Those convicted ran a business-like operation and they all had a key role to play in the supply of controlled drugs onto the streets.
“This was a significant operation for us but our work doesn’t end here. We know the supply of controlled drugs is a never-ending battle and there is always someone waiting to fill the gap left by others.”
