Six drug lords have been locked up after a significant bust involving tonnes of high-purity cocaine and amphetamines smuggled into the North East and Merseyside regions. Two additional suspects are awaiting sentencing following a lengthy 22-week trial that exposed the scale of their drug empire.
The drugs conspiracy was led by John Allcock, who, along with his gang, denied involvement throughout the trial. However, police had been monitoring their operations from January 2017 to May 2018, gathering substantial evidence.
Officers seized over £120,000 in cash and confiscated 65 kilos of cannabis along with mixing agents. Class A drugs valued at hundreds of thousands of pounds were also recovered during the investigation.
Detectives from the North East Regional Special Operations Unit (NERSOU) kept close surveillance on Allcock and his right-hand man Carl McAlindon as they sourced drugs from a crime syndicate based in the North West. Allcock frequently travelled to Liverpool and Manchester, visiting industrial units used to stash amphetamines before distributing them through couriers.
To evade police detection, the gang held secret face-to-face meetings, used encrypted devices, and employed various tactics. Their cover was ultimately broken when Liverpool courier Paul Marrow was stopped on the A1 in Durham. Officers discovered a hidden compartment in his van containing £180,000 worth of pure cocaine.
Further searches uncovered nearly £50,000 in cash hidden beneath a van boot lining during a vehicle stop in Lincolnshire. Additional arrests followed in 2018, including Baber Azim, who was caught carrying cash and a kilo of cocaine in Cleveland, and Glen Stoddart, found with £250,000 worth of cannabis in Swansea.
John Allcock, who had been hiding in Spain, was finally arrested with assistance from the National Crime Agency. The entire gang faced multiple charges of drugs offences and money laundering at Newcastle Crown Court.
After a gruelling four-month trial, two men pleaded guilty and six were convicted in February. On Friday, Newcastle Crown Court handed down prison sentences to six members of the gang:
- John Allcock, 52, of Durham – 21 years for conspiracy to supply Class A and B drugs and money laundering.
- Carl McAlindon, 36, of Jarrow – 13 years for conspiracy to supply Class A and B drugs plus money laundering.
- Bernard Sewell, 41, of Hebburn – 4½ years for conspiracy to supply Class B drugs.
- Mark Hiscock, 46, of South Shields – 1 year for money laundering.
- David McFarlane, 53, of Jarrow – 1 year for money laundering.
- Glen Stoddart, 53, of Hartlepool – 5½ years for conspiracy to supply Class B drugs, money laundering, and organised crime participation.
Paul Marrow, 62, from Liverpool, and Baber Azim, 43, from Slough, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply Class A drugs and money laundering but will be sentenced at a later date.
This crackdown sends a clear message that drug crime will not be tolerated in the region, and those involved will face serious jail time.
Originally published by UKNIP.
