Two jailed for drug-dealing network after Lowestoft arrests

Doors were smashed in as simultaneous raids were held at 28 properties across the south east on March 23, 2022 as part of a special joint operation.

And now, after the series of arrests as part of an investigation by the Kent and Essex Serious Crime Directorate and HMRC officers, 10 people involved in an organised crime group responsible for the mass supply of cocaine have been jailed for a total of more than 100 years.

They included Jessie Cockle, 29, of Hulver Road in Beccles, and Carl Crabtree, 41, of Colsterdale, Carlton Colville in Lowestoft who were sentenced at Maidstone Crown Court last Thursday, January 18.

They had been arrested following two raids in Lowestoft and were jailed for a total of 17 years between them.

The organised crime group members admitted being part of the movement of 250 kilos of cocaine worth in excess of £15 million between 2019 and 2022.

The court heard that a police operation, codenamed Venetic, discovered the men used an encrypted mobile phone chat system, called EncroChat, where they discussed delivery and payments.

Officers from the Kent and Essex Serious Crime Directorate were first alerted to the criminality when they seized a phone in 2020 during a separate investigation, which led Kent Police detectives to David Squires and Lewis Cosgrove, who both had EncroChat handles.

Cash seized following the arrest of David Squires. Picture: Kent Police (Image: Kent Police)

They were later found to be instrumental in the running of a Kent-based organised crime network and had a part to play in the mass supply of cocaine to at least two other organised crime groups in different counties.

A Kent Police spokesman said: "Detectives built further connections to Patrick Hallahan, Kevin Ratcliffe, Richard Shelton, Jessie Cockle, Michael Blewett and Damien Freeman.

"Drugs were being shipped between Kent, Suffolk and East Sussex."

Cash and drugs seized

At the time of the raids in March 2022 luxury watches, cars, designer goods, artwork totalling more than £400,000 in cash were seized.

A Kent Police spokesman said: "Enforcement action was carried out, simultaneously, at several properties in Kent, London, Suffolk and Sussex.

"Hallahan, Shelton, Ratcliffe, Cockle, Cosgrove, Blewett, Freeman, Savva and a man named Carl Crabtree were all arrested and charged."

Guilty pleas

After all 10 suspects pleaded guilty they were sentenced to the following charges:

Patrick Hallahan, 36, of Brighton - 14 years for four counts of conspiracy to supply class A cocaine and one count of encouraging/assisting in commission of indictable offences.

Richard Shelton, 41, of London - 15 years and six months for three counts of conspiracy to supply class A cocaine.

Kevin Ratcliffe, 42, of Brighton - 14 years for four counts of conspiracy to supply class A cocaine.

David Squires, 46, of Rochester - seven years for three counts of conspiracy to supply class A cocaine.

Jessie Cockle, 29, of Hulver Road, Beccles - 14 years and six months for two counts of conspiracy to supply class A cocaine.

Lewis Cosgrove, 39, of Rochester - 12 years and nine months for four counts of conspiracy to supply class A cocaine and transferring criminal property.

Michael Blewett, 43, of Brighton - 10 years and six months for one count of being concerned in the supply of class A cocaine.

Damion Freeman, 45, of Brighton - eight years and six months for one count of being concerned in the supply of class A cocaine.

Carl Crabtree, 41, of Colsterdale, Carlton Colville, Lowestoft - three years for one count of possession of criminal property.

James Savva, 51, of  London - five years and eight months for one count of conspiracy to supply class A cocaine.

'Greed'

Speaking after sentencing, Kent Police’s Investigating Officer, DC Mark Froome, said: "The criminals involved in this conspiracy were focused on making money and their greed got in the way of any consideration for the lives they would destroy once those drugs had found their way into our communities."