Five men jailed for supplying cocaine worth millions in Gloucestershire
Jordan Ireland, 29, led the operation while James Blandford, 35, helped keep things running smoothly
Five men have been jailed for a combined total of over 36 years for supplying millions of pounds worth of cocaine in Gloucestershire.
Jordan Ireland, James Blandford, Ashley Booth, Brian Dennis, and Scott Capstick were sentenced at Gloucester Crown Court last Thursday (7 May).
During earlier hearings, four of the men admitted to conspiracy to supply cocaine, while Capstick admitted to being concerned in supply of cocaine.
The court heard that the group distributed at least 25 kilograms of cocaine, with an estimated potential street value of £2 million, between February 2023 and September 2024.
Officers discovered the conspiracy after phones were downloaded following the arrests of two men, aged 32 and 35, for separate matters in 2023.
Detectives were able to show evidence that 29-year-old Ireland, of Yorkley Road, Cheltenham, had been involved in the supply of cocaine.
Ireland was subsequently arrested for an unrelated matter in April 2024.
Ireland's phone was examined and revealed he was using SnapChat and WhatsApp to advertise drugs for sale.
A surveillance-led police investigation into his involvement followed, alongside that of James Blandford, in the supply of multiple kilograms of cocaine in Gloucestershire and the surrounding counties.
Gloucestershire Police's SOCU established where the videos had been filmed, along with people whose hands featured in the videos.
They used surveillance to see which cars were being used to transport large quantities of drugs and cash, and to establish who was travelling to and from addresses of interest.
Numerous arrest warrants and searches in September 2024 saw digital devices seized from a number of people.
Multiple videos were found which showed kilogram blocks of cocaine and drugs being mixed on a kitchen work space.
Police say the group made payments in excess of £600,000 for high purity cocaine, with many more instances of payments where the amounts were not recorded.
James Blandford
Some of the cocaine was adulterated by the group before being repressed at a local garage controlled by Dennis.
The court heard how Ireland played a leading role while Blandford was a trusted lieutenant in charge of money and drugs, who kept things running smoothly.
Booth was a drugs runner and was used for storage distribution, with Capstick acting as a drugs runner and also being trusted to deliver large amounts of money to upstream couriers.
Ireland, Blandford and Booth admitted a further charge of conspiracy to supply cannabis, and Ireland and Booth also admitted to a count of conspiracy to supply ketamine.
The five men were sentenced as follows:
- ,,Jordon Ireland, 29, of Yorkley Road, Cheltenham was sentenced to 11 years and 8 months in prison;
- James Blandford, aged 35 and of Barrington Drive, Gloucester, was given 8 years and 3 months;
- Ashley Booth, aged 29 and of Woodruff Close, Gloucester, was sentenced to 7 years and 1 month;
- Brian Dennis, aged 55 and of School Mead, Cheltenham, was sentenced to 6 years and 4 months; and
- Scott Capstick, aged 37 and of Leadon Close, Brockworth, was given 3 years and 4 months.
Speaking after the sentencing, Detective Chief Inspector Matt Phillips said: "In the police, we recognise that addiction to drugs is a devastating thing to live with.
"Making these interventions helps to reduce the drugs that are available on the market and helps protect those people who suffer from substance abuse.
"This has been a significant piece of work from the entire investigation team and I would like to commend them for their dedication throughout this case. The result shows that we will continue to do all we can to tackle the issue of drug dealing in our communities."