Six men jailed as multimillion-pound Manchester-based firearm and drug operation dismantled

Six men have been jailed for their part in a multimillion-pound operation which saw class A drugs and firearms sold around the UK.

The men were part of a Manchester-based organised crime group which sold drugs wholesale, in high volumes, particularly cocaine in kilos, at prices between £36,000 and £40,500 through an established network of contacts.
 
The drugs they sold ended up on the streets of Manchester and London and other parts of the North West, North East, Scotland, the Midlands, and the South.
 
A ledger uncovered as part of a police investigation showed that between 13 January and 16 May 2020, accounts were kept for the supply of 739 kilos of high-quality cocaine to a large customer base.
 
Police drug experts valued the cocaine shown in the ledgers at a minimum of £25 million, with an estimated street value of over £70 million, at £100 per gram.
 
Police found evidence that pistols were acquired by the group on or around 7 March 2020 for £147,000 and these were offered for sale at between approximately £5,000 and £8,500 each.
 
52 machine pistols were also acquired, and by May 2020 they had sold at least 48 of them to various criminal associates for between approximately £9,000 and £15,000 each.
 
The investigation into this group led to the recovery of firearms, ammunition, drugs and over £600,000 in cash.

Alan Richardson, Senior Crown Prosecutor for CPS North West’s Complex Casework Unit, said: “This was a highly developed operation and the largest one I have dealt with in my career.
 
“The dismantling of this operation and the subsequent convictions and sentences are a testament to the hard work of the whole prosecution team, including Greater Manchester Police’s serious and organised crime group, the National Crime Agency, CPS North West, and the barristers who prosecuted the case at court, John Elvidge KC and Neil Fryman.
 
“The men used sophisticated methods to try to evade prosecution including the use of a safe house to store drugs and weapons and the use of Encrophones, to prevent their communications being accessed.
 
“I would like to thank and praise the professionalism of everyone who has helped to bring these men to justice.
 
“I hope these convictions and sentences send a strong message to others who are endangering our communities by distributing illicit drugs and weapons, we will prosecute and bring to justice those that operate outside the law.”
 
The prosecution case was that Mohammed Omar Malik, 38, played a lead role in the operation with the other men supporting.
 
The men, all from the Greater Manchester area, were jailed at Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court today.
 
Malik was sentenced to 36 years in prison plus a two year extended licence period, after being convicted of conspiracy to possess firearms or ammunition with intent to endanger life, conspiracy to supply cocaine, conspiracy to supply MDMA and conspiracy to supply amphetamine.
 
Connor Sandlan, 32, was sentenced to 28 years and six months in prison, plus a two year extended licence period, after being convicted of conspiracy to possess firearms or ammunition with intent to endanger life, conspiracy to supply cocaine, conspiracy to supply MDMA and conspiracy to supply amphetamine.
 
Daniel Gibbons, 39, was sentenced to  26 years in prison, plus a two year extended licence period, after pleading guilty to three counts of possession of a prohibited firearm and being convicted after trial of conspiracy to possess firearms or ammunition with intent to endanger life and conspiracy to supply cocaine and conspiracy to supply amphetamine.
 
Daniel Waters, 42, was sentenced to 24 years and six months in prison, plus a two year extended licence period, after pleading guilty to conspiracy to supply amphetamine, two counts of possession of a prohibited firearm, possession of ammunition without a certificate, conspiracy to supply cocaine and being convicted after trial of conspiracy to possess firearms or ammunition with intent to endanger life and conspiracy to supply MDMA.
 
Andrew Cooney, 39, was sentenced to 25 years in prison, plus a two year extended licence period, after pleading guilty to possession of cocaine with intent to supply and being convicted after trial of conspiracy to possess firearms or ammunition with intent to endanger life and conspiracy to supply cocaine.
 
Sean Hogan, 40, was sentenced to 22 years in prison, plus a two year extended licence period, after pleading guilty to possession of a prohibited weapon and being convicted after trial of conspiracy to possess firearms or ammunition with intent to endanger life, being concerned in the supply of cocaine and being concerned in the supply of ketamine.
 
A seventh man, Adrian Gonzalez, 32, will be sentenced on 26 January 2024.
 
Detective Superintendent Joe Harrop from GMP Serious Organised Crime Group said: “These were very dangerous men who only cared about making vast amounts of money. They didn’t care how lethal their commodities were or the consequences for the communities and innocent people who would be irrevocably affected by this.
 
“They thought they were untouchable but working with colleagues from the NCA and the CPS North West Complex Case Unit, we were able to systematically dismantle the group and show them this wasn’t the case.”