Overview

• Liverpool Crown Court jailed Ihtiandr Maciulevicius for six years for being concerned in the production of MDMA and sentenced Barry Burke to 37 months for participating in an organised crime group.
• Co-defendant Farris Thomas, 42, who admitted participating in an organised crime group, is due to be sentenced in October.
• The operation came to light after bailiffs changed the locks on the Cleveland Street unit on January 2 due to irregular rent payments, leading to a manager’s discovery on January 13 and police attendance soon after.
• Police seized about 3kg of MDMA and an industrial tablet press, with expert evidence estimating potential output of roughly 23,400 tablets valued at up to £234,000.
• Fingerprints from Maciulevicius and Burke were found on the machinery and Maciulevicius’ DNA was recovered from a filtration mask, while CCTV showed him effectively living at the unit in December and January.