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  1. Published on: 13/11/2017 09:18 AMReported by: roving-eye


    Operation Pitscale was an investigation into a serious and organised crime group from Lancashire who were supplying drugs within the north of England and to South Wales, Scotland and South Yorkshire.

    The main subjects were Paul Berry and Stephen Reeves; TITAN began to investigate Berry and Reeves after a drug courier was arrested in Dumfries, Scotland in February 2014. The courier, Lee Tarry had 3 kg of cocaine concealed within pre-packed furniture as he headed north. Soon afterwards, in June 2014, Peter Linford another trusted associate of Reeves was arrested in Lancashire and 45kg of Amphetamine was recovered. Subsequent investigation was able to link both Reeves and Berry with these seizures.

    After the arrest of Linford, the group then used Dean Stephens as a courier and to provide a safe house in Skelmersdale for the storage of drugs. He used a van that had been liveried to resemble a genuine company vehicle.

    On the 9th October 2014, Stephen was seen acting suspiciously in the Skelmersdale area and a warrant was executed at his home – in total 51kg of amphetamine was recovered from his home and vehicle.

    On the 8th December 2014, an associate of Berry called Warren Bennett travelled from Preston to Liverpool and was handed a large holdall containing 45kg of Amphetamine by a Liverpool criminal called Carl Ellis. Bennett was stopped driving his vehicle as he returned to Preston and arrested – Ellis was traced much later and arrested for his part in the supply of these drugs.

    The crime group merely utilised another courier as seizures took place and associates arrested.

    Kenneth Pritchard from the Burscough area was then recruited, he was seen meeting with Reeves.

    On the 12th February 2015, Pritchard and a female were seen in the Burscough area. Large boxes were placed in their vehicle which was stopped a short time later and 70kg of Amphetamine was recovered. A later search of a stored caravan belonging to Pritchard resulted in the recovery of 2kg of cocaine.

    Paul Berry held criminal meetings as he arranged the onward supply of drugs.

    He met with Mark Fishwick from Preston and James Rushe from Cheshire – this was a meeting to arrange the later supply of cocaine.

    He also met with Dimitri Wright and Ryan Vintin from Sheffield as he arranged the supply of Amphetamine to them.

    On the 7th March 2015, Paul Berry’s new couriers, Michael Kearns and Martin Cleary travelled to Glossop in Derbyshire and met with Darren Highfield from Sheffield who was a courier for Wright and Vintin.

    At this meeting 17kg of Amphetamine was handed to Highfield; he was arrested as he returned to Sheffield.

    On the 21st April 2015, Michael Kearns, Steven Higgs and Anoushka Lindsay were seen to leave Liverpool and travel north towards Preston - they were stopped on the M6 motorway and a 1/4kg of cocaine was recovered from their vehicle. It later became apparent that this was destined for Mark Fishwick.

    This was the final seizure in the operation.

    In June 2015, Berry, Reeves and other members of the gang were arrested and charged with conspiracy offences; others were arrested later such as Carl Ellis.

    It is also of note that during this operation, Stephen Reeves was seen to meet with a number of males from Huyton – later that day these males were involved in the supply of 185kg of cannabis resin to a HGV driver. The driver was stopped later that day in South wales and the drugs recovered.

    South Wales Police investigated this under Operation Hallett and as a result a number of males from Huyton and South Wales were later convicted. Stephen Reeves, Paul Berry and Michael Kearns were also all convicted for offences within South Wales.

    TITAN has thoroughly dismantled this crime group with the prosecution of over twenty subjects. Other crime groups in South Wales, South Yorkshire and Liverpool were also identified and similarly dismantled and imprisoned.

    Cocaine and Amphetamine with a combined street value in excess of £5 million were recovered in a series of carefully executed interventions. A large quantity of cannabis was also recovered in South Wales.

    10/03/16 14 members of the OCG were convicted at Liverpool Crown Court for offences of conspiracy to supply controlled drugs.

    07/07/16 James Rushe and Mark Fishwick were convicted at Liverpool Crown Court following a trial.

    On the 8th July 2016 the following members of the OCG from Liverpool and South Wales were sentenced at Cardiff Crown Court for a conspiracy to supply cannabis. (Op Hallet)

    Total number of years imprisonment for the 2 OCGs 151 years.

    Paul Douglas BERRY 11 years Imprisonment 10/03/16 - 8 Abbey Walk, Preston, Lancs, PR1 9BE

    Stephen Sidney REEVES 9 years Imprisonment 10/03/16 - 17 Charnock Skelmersdale, Lancs, WN8 9DZ

    Lee TARRY 5 years Imprisonment 10/03/16 - 6 Cherrycroft, Skelmersdale, Lancs, LN8 9DH

    Peter LINFORD 54 months Imprisonment 10/03/16 - 1B Groveside, Liverpool, L7 7EP

    Dean STEPHEN 3 years Imprisonment 10/03/16 - 139 Egerton, Skelmersdale, Lancs, WN8 6AB

    Warren BENNETT 40 months Imprisonment 10/03/16 - 21 Rufus Street, Deepdale, Preston, PR1 6XX

    Kenneth PRITCHARD 64 Months Imprisonment 10/03/16 - 2 Manor Crescent, Burscough, Ormskirk, L40 7TW

    Michael KEARNS 64 Months Imprisonment 10/03/16 - 36 Dovecot Avenue, Liverpool, L14 7QL

    Martin CLEARY 2 years Imprisonment 10/03/16 - 47 Woolfall Crescent, Huyton, L36 2NE

    Steven HIGG 3 years Imprisonment 10/03/16 - 22 Wadeson Road, Liverpool, L4 9RR

    Dimitri WRIGHT 44 months Imprisonment 10/03/16 - 22 The meads, Sheffield, South Yorkshire, S8 8JD

    Ryan VINTIN 40 months Imprisonment 10/03/16 - 18 Luna Croft, Sheffield, South Yorkshire, S12 3LN

    Darren HIGHFIELD 18 months Imprisonment 10/03/16 - 28 Hollybank Way Intake, Sheffield, South Yorkshire, S12 2BZ

    James RUSHE 6 years Imprisonment 07/07/16 - Village Farm 128 Runcorn Road, Moore, Runcorn, WA4 6UB

    Mark FISHWICK 6 years Imprisonment 07/07/16 - 128 Greencroft, Penwortham, Preston, PR1 9LD

    Carl ELLIS 36 Months Imprisonment 13/06/16 - 10 Browning Road, Liverpool, L13 0DE

    OPERATION HALLET
    Paul Douglas BERRY 8 years Imprisonment 08/07/16 - 8 Abbey Walk, Preston, Lancs, PR1 9BE

    Stephen Sidney REEVES 7 years Imprisonment 08/07/16 - 17 Charnock Skelmersdale, Lancs, WN8 9DZ

    Terrence EARLE 3 years Imprisonment 08/07/16 - 19 Freckleton Road, St Helens, WA10 3AR

    Michael EARLE 3 Years Imprisonment 08/07/16 - 14 Longview Lane, Huyton, L36 7UN

    Jake WOODWARD 21 months Imprisonment 08/07/16 - 62 Essex Road, Huyton, L36 1XW

    Alan MEGANN 27 months Imprisonment 08/07/16 - 47 Berkley Avenue, Liverpool, L12 4YS

    Gerard WORTH 6 Years Imprisonment 08/07/16 - 9 York Way, Huyton, L36 1XJ

    Leighton CORRY 21 Months Imprisonment 08/07/16 - 7 Woodbine Road, Blackwood, Caerphilly, County Borough, NP12 1QJ

    Michael MARTIN 14 years Imprisonment 08/07/16 - 18 Heolddu Crescent, Bargoed, Mid Glamorgan, CF81 8UQ

    UPDATE - 9th November 2017

    A Proceeds Of Crime Act (POCA) Confiscation order was made against convicted drug dealer Dimitri Wright at Liverpool Crown Court on 9th November 2017. Resulting in the following;

    Total Benefit: £159,120.57
    Available Benefit: £149,870.57
    Default: 2 years
    Time to pay: 3 months

    Nine orders have been made so far with total benefit being: £3,845,382.41 and total available £249,224.41.
     

    Useful links: Report Cyber Crime | Stop Nuisance Calls & Mail | Daily Covid Stats (updated 4pm) | Covid excess deaths in your area | Local NHS Resources | What 3 Words





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    Your Comments:


  3. cotton man says:13/11/2017 12:09 PM
    This really is excellent news, removing this scum from our streets. Very well done to the Police and the courts. Brilliant.

  4. cotton man says:13/11/2017 07:58 PM
    In my opinion this lot of losers should be used as enforced spare part surgery “donators “ then they might have achieved something useful in their lives.


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