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'No excuse' for importing drugs
Page 14
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A LANCASHIRE-BASED haulage contractor has been jailed for 11 years after being convicted of involvement in a major plot to supply drugs.
The man, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was found guilty by a jury at Liverpool Crown Court of conspiring to supply cannabis worth £2m. He was cleared of a similar charge involving cocaine, heroin and ecstasy.
Prosecuting, Raymond Wigglesworth QC said that the haulier and two other men were arrested following the discovery of 13 drug shipments into the UK from the Netherlands. Four of the shipments, with a total value of £25m, were seized by Customs.
The Bury haulier was present on several occasions when drugs were unloaded at his premises. He would unlock the warehouse and let the men in, though he did not help unload the drugs or hide them among legitimate consignments, such as washing powder.
The jury failed to agree verdicts on Gerald Deaffern, of Sunny Hill Close, Darwen, who had denied similar charges; he will have to face a retrial. A second haulier, Daniel
Green, of Lomax Street, Great Harwood, pleaded guilty to conspiring to supply £1.3m worth of cannabis and amphetamines. He was jailed for six years.
Green had run a haulage business at Rishton, near Blackburn, said Wigglesworth. In early October 2001 he had been asked to become involved in drug smuggling. He later arranged for sealed containers to be brought from the Netherlands.
Wigglesworth told the court that Green was involved in five successful operations smuggling cannabis and amphetamines: he was paid £2,500 for the first consignment and £5,000 for each of the other four. He was arrested after £20m worth of drugs were seized by Customs at Hull in December 2001.
Appearing for Green, Alistair Webster QC said that he had succumbed to temptation at a financially vulnerable time.
Jailing the two men, Judge Dennis Clark said: "No one goes into this filthy business trading in drugs unless they do it as a deliberate decision.You are businessmen, family men, who did it for greed and there's no excuse."