Surrey drug gang jailed after 10kg of cocaine seized from cars
Police stopped vehicles in Redhill, Crawley and London, leading to arrests and prison sentences for four people involved in drug supply
Four people have been jailed after police seized 10kg of cocaine during an operation targeting a drug supply network across Surrey and the south-east.
Surrey Police tracked Christopher Brewer to Redhill in May last year, where officers saw him place a black bin bag into an Audi. The car was stopped and officers found 5kg of cocaine.
Further vehicle stops and house searches were carried out in Redhill, Horley, Reigate, Crawley and London. A further 5kg of cocaine was recovered from a BMW driven by Maria Rivas Santos as it travelled through London. Another man, Michael White, was found with a quarter of a kilo of cocaine hidden in his underwear.
Wraps of cocaine were also found on Christopher Brewer’s brother, Craig Brewer, and 29 grams more at his home. Officers found that attempts had been made to flush some of the drugs down the toilet. About £10,000 in cash was also seized.
All four pleaded guilty and were sentenced today (2 July) at Guildford Crown Court.
Christopher Brewer, 35, from Reigate, was jailed for 11 years and six months for conspiracy to supply Class A drugs. He was also sentenced to two years, to run concurrently, for conspiracy to acquire criminal property, and six months concurrently for perverting the course of justice.
Craig Brewer, 38, from Redhill, was sentenced to six years and five months for conspiracy to supply Class A drugs and 12 months concurrently for conspiracy to acquire criminal property.
Michael White, 54, from Crawley, was given five years and three months for conspiracy to supply Class A drugs and nine months concurrently for conspiracy to acquire criminal property.
Maria Rivas Santos, 32, from Liverpool, received a sentence of four years and eight months for conspiracy to supply Class A drugs.
Detective Constable Matt Earl from Surrey Police said: “These individuals had key roles in a network distributing illegal drugs in the south-east and were living off the profits of their crimes.
“Through the hard work and perseverance of our SOCU team, supported by colleagues from various teams within Surrey Police as well as the South East Regional Organised Crime Unit, we were able to catch them in the act.
“Now, not only are they in jail, but 10kg of cocaine is off our streets and out of our communities, hitting organised criminals where it hurts the most – in their pockets.”
Inspector Jon Vale, Borough Commander for Reigate and Banstead, said: “I know the police activity at addresses in Redhill, Reigate and Horley in May last year caused some concern amongst local residents, but I hope it also reassures people we are working hard to flush out criminals from our midst.
“This is not just about taking drugs off the streets; drugs destroy communities by contributing to rises in other offences like violence and even untimely deaths.”
Andrew Brewer, 65, the father of Christopher and Craig Brewer, also admitted perverting the course of justice after falsely accepting a speeding fine on his son’s behalf. He received a conditional discharge for six months, having already spent 408 days on electronic curfew.