Overview

• The investigation began in September 2022 when Sipho Ncube fled a car crash, leading officers to a phone linked to the network and triggering raids that arrested 12 suspects.
• On June 3, all 12 members were sentenced at Nottingham Crown Court to a combined 130 years for conspiracy to supply Class A drugs.
• The gang ran 13 dedicated lines across Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire, Lincolnshire, Leicestershire and as far as Aberdeen, serving over 1,400 customers with heroin and crack cocaine.
• Members recruited children as young as 16 to transport and sell drugs, produced crack cocaine with bulking agents and carried blank and live firearms to protect their operation.
• Detective Inspector Luke Todd said shutting down the network will safeguard vulnerable minors and reduce the flow of Class A drugs that have plagued local communities.