A GANG has been jailed after £500,000 worth of drugs were seized.

Seven men were part of the conspiracy to deal drugs in Hampshire and Merseyside.

The cocaine and heroin had an estimated street value of more than £4.5million.

The conspiracy sought to bring wholesale amounts of the class A drugs via Liverpool and onto the streets of Southampton during a three month period between March and May 2021.

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A total of £500,000 worth of drugs were recovered from a number of addresses in the Southampton area, along with a large quantity of benzocaine – a cutting agent for creating greater quantities of drugs.

Officer seized 1.4kg of heroin and 1.4kg of cocaine - with a street value of £440,000. They also recovered 12kg of benzocaine alongside 2kg of a paracetamol and caffeine powder mixture as well as £19,000 in cash.

Police said it was evident from a series of messages exchanged between the gang that every five weeks, approximately 1.5kg of heroin and 1.2kg of cocaine were being supplied to and by a number of the members in the Southampton area for street-level distribution.

While sentencing at Southampton Crown Court yesterday, the Honourable Mr Justice Henry stated that the group's actions "could have resulted in supplying approximately 48kg of cocaine on the streets of Southampton in the future".

This would have given a street value of the drugs that could have been supplied of more than £4.5 million.

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Andrew Bruce Dingwall, 31, of St. Francis Avenue, Southampton was found guilty of conspiracy to supply Class A drugs. He was jailed for six years.

Jack Stanley, 29, of Mandela Way, Southampton was found guilty of conspiracy to supply Class A drugs. He was jailed for five years.

Rudie Boy Stanley, 19, of Mandela Way, Southampton, was found guilty of conspiracy to supply Class A drugs. He was sentenced to two years; suspended for two years.

At an earlier hearing at Southampton Crown Court Isaac Williams-McLean, 28, of Warlock Close, Southampton and Jimmy Stanley, 27, of Mandela Way, Southampton both pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply Class A drugs.

They were both jailed for 10 years each.

Callum David Mark Gover, 23, of no fixed abode also pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply Class A drugs and was jailed for five years.

Gover had also pleaded guilty to being in possession of a Class A drugs worth between £1,600 - £2,000 in January 2023 whilst on court bail; he was sentenced to a further three years for this offence and is to be served consecutively.

Ringleader William Andrew Marsh, 36, of Rock Lane, Melling in Liverpool was found guilty via a jury of conspiring to supply Class A drugs.

He was jailed for 15 years for his part in the conspiracy and given a Serious Crime Prevention Order for five years following his release from prison.

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Detective Constable Amy Speed said: "We hope that the sentencing passed by the judge sends out a clear and stark message to those currently involved in drug supply, or those that are considering it, across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.

"We are absolutely clear that we do not tolerate any form of drug-supply, or the associated criminal exploitation or drug-related harm, that comes with committing these offences.

"Organised criminal gangs, as was the case in this instance, or individuals, who are going out intending to distribute quantities of drugs on the streets of Hampshire and the Isle of Wight will be found and will be stopped."