Edlington drugs gang given 76 years in prison

Their organised and sustained operation spanned three counties and police seized £300,000 of drugs and £80,000 in cash.

Detectives spent seven months probing the group, which transported high purity class A drugs from Warrington and Wakefield.

“This result is significant,” said Det Insp Mitch Leach. “No matter how sophisticated or organised a drugs operation may be, or appear to be, our specialist team is committed to identifying those involved, disrupting their organisation and bringing them before the courts to be held to account.”

Jonathan Knowles (32), of Cedar Road, Balby, Paul Holcroft (57), of Grace Avenue, Warrington, and Kirsty Holcroft (34), of Grace Avenue, Warrington, were found guilty of supplying class A drugs and jailed for seven, eight and eight years respectively at Sheffield Crown Court.

Six other people admitted offences and were jailed at the same time, with sentences as follows:

• John Paul Finn (34), of Aldcliffe Crescent, Balby — 14 years for supplying a class A drug
• David Finn (39), of Cedar Road, Doncaster — eight months suspended for possession of criminal property
• Tanvir Khalid (38), of Newland Court, Agbrigg, Wakefield — eight years for conspiracy to supply a class A drug
• Amir Hussain (39), of Newland Court, Agbrigg, Wakefield — eight years for conspiracy to supply a class A drug
• Gulsher Khalique (39), of Trinity Street, Agbrigg, Wakefield — 11 years for conspiracy to supply a class A drug
• Billy James Barton (33), of Ireland Street, Orford — 12 years for conspiracy to supply a class A drug.

John Paul Finn was believed to be the ringleader — directing couriers to collect and deliver drugs. Barton was identified as the Warrington supplier, while a second source in Wakefield was led by Khalique and Hussain.

Police stopped cars, carried out warrants and gathered phone data between November 2016 and June 2017.

Five men — including four from Edlington — admitted possession offences as part of the same conspiracy and were jailed in 2017.

Ian Andrew Shaw (33), of Victoria Road; Brian Devanney (42), of St John’s Road; Nigel Darbyshire (53), of Grainger Close; and Aaron Cameron (26), of Clark Avenue, were sentenced alongside Christopher Peat (27), of Common Lane in Doncaster.

Two men — from Warrington and Doncaster — were cleared of conspiracy to supply and transferring criminal property.