17 sentenced for key roles in Derbyshire drugs operation
The group used social media to distribute cannabis and other drugs
Seventeen individuals have been sentenced for their involvement in a large-scale drugs supply operation in Derbyshire.
They utilised Snapchat to sell drugs, offering collection and delivery services while using social media for competitions to increase their customer base.
The conspiracy was headed by Evis Zogu, who procured significant amounts of cannabis for sale.
Henry Raisbeck, Thomas Soler, and Samuel Dixon worked closely with him, managing the supply and distribution of Class A and B drugs from Nottinghamshire to Creswell.
Stephen Newton served as a driver and enforcer, while Claire Whittaker assisted Davey Holmes with the supply side of their business.
The scheme was exposed in October 2020 after police attempted to stop a vehicle they found suspicious in Creswell, leading to a chase that ended with a crash in Duchess Street.
Alex Hall, the driver, and Kieran Birnie, the passenger, fled the scene, leaving five kilos of cannabis worth between £22,200 and £27,000 in the car boot.
Jay Hall later falsely confessed to being the driver during a 999 call, but investigations disproved his claims, revealing he had been at a pub.
This crash unsettled the drug network, triggering efforts to sell additional drugs, which intensified internal conflicts and led to threats among members.
Despite the turmoil, drug distribution persisted, resulting in further arrests and drug seizures.
In January 2021, Davey Holmes, Michael Cooper, Damien Wyatt, and Craig Wyatt were detained in Bradford allegedly possessing cannabis valued between £1,400 and £1,700, along with cash.
In February 2021, a subsequent incident occurred when police stopped a BMW at a Tesco service station in Clowne, arresting Leroy Wyatt and Davey Holmes for possession of cannabis, cash, and an offensive weapon.
These arrests prompted a search in Duke Street, Creswell, uncovering a stash of cannabis, cannabis edibles, and cocaine with a total value of £21,360, leading to the arrests of Craig Wyatt and Leon Lander.
A subsequent tip-off on 19th February 2021 alerted police to a cannabis grow in Creswell, revealing a half-harvested operation.
Investigations pointed to another address in Creswell, where Nicola Eccleston and Simon Dykes were detained.
The sentencing details are as follows:
- Evis Zogu, 37, jailed for 8 years and 6 months
- Henry Raisbeck, 34, jailed for 6 years and 2 months
- Davey Holmes, 28, jailed for 12 years
- Thomas Soler, 28, given a suspended sentence of 2 years
- Samuel Dixon, 29, given a suspended sentence of 2 years
- Alex Hall, 28, jailed for 5 years and 6 months
- Jay Hall, 31, jailed for 3 years and 6 months
- Leroy Wyatt, 41, jailed for 2 years and 6 months
- Damien Wyatt, 35, jailed for 12 months
- Craig Wyatt, 39, jailed for 30 months
- Leon Lander, 31, jailed for 27 months
- Michael Cooper, 34, given a suspended sentence of 14 months
- Stephen Newton, 47, jailed for 27 months
- Kieron Birnie, 28, given a suspended sentence of 15 months
- Claire Whittaker, 41, given a community order with 120 hours of unpaid work
- Nicola Eccleston, 29, given a community order with 100 hours of unpaid work
- Simon Dykes, 35, jailed for 36 months
PC Helen Ward, who led the investigation, said: "This group were responsible for the distribution and sale of a large quantity of drugs in Derbyshire so I am pleased they have now been brought to justice for their crimes.
"Drugs have a massive impact on our communities so it is vital that criminal activity from groups such as this is disrupted and the group dismantled.
"We would ask anyone with any information on drug dealing in their area to please contact us and let us know. Together we can work to get criminals like this off our streets."