Drugs Operation Led from Mother's House
A man who orchestrated a cocaine distribution network from his mother's residence has been sentenced to prison alongside three others for supplying cocaine valued at hundreds of thousands of pounds.
Gloucestershire Constabulary reported that the gang leader, Jordan Ireland, 29, from Hucclecote in Gloucester, was captured on video weighing cocaine in his mother's kitchen.
James Blandford, 35, also from Hucclecote and described as the "second-in-command" of the drug operation, received a sentence at Gloucester Crown Court.
Both Ireland and Blandford were sentenced together with gang members Brian Dennis, 54, from Cheltenham; Ashley Booth, 29; and Scott Capstick, 37, both from Gloucester.
All men pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply drugs, except Capstick, who admitted to the lesser charge of being concerned with the supply of drugs.
Investigation Details
The court heard that an investigation into the gang began in April 2024 after Ireland, who had previously served a six-year prison sentence for drug offenses, was arrested on unrelated charges.
Police extracted data from Ireland's mobile phone, which initiated a covert surveillance operation.
Between February 2023 and September 2024, the gang imported Class A drugs worth hundreds of thousands of pounds into Gloucestershire and neighboring counties, including some cannabis and ketamine.
Drug Processing and Distribution
Detective Inspector Matt Phillips of Gloucestershire Police explained that the cocaine was mixed with cheaper substances such as the local anaesthetic Benzocaine to extend the supply and increase profits.
Dennis, a mechanic by profession, pressed the mixture into 1kg (2.20lb) blocks to give the appearance that the cocaine had not been adulterated.
Booth assisted in the storage and distribution of the drugs.
Money Handling and Security Measures
The gang implemented additional security measures to ensure that large sums of money exchanged during transactions reached their intended recipients.
"We found they were sometimes handing over £100,000 a time in cash to a courier and obviously they wanted some security to make sure that went to plan,"
"So one of the models they used was the courier would send a photograph of a serial number of a £5 note,"
"Before they handed the money over the person coming to meet them had to have that exact bank note in their possession so they knew the money was going to the right place,"
Detectives also discovered videos recorded by the defendants, including one showing an estimated 6kg (13lb) of cocaine in Ireland's kitchen.
Phillips noted that the gang used encrypted messaging applications on their phones to advertise their product and arrange cash collections.
Sentencing
Jordan Ireland was sentenced to 11 years and eight months in prison, while James Blandford received an eight-year and three-month sentence.
Brian Dennis was sentenced to six years and four months, Ashley Booth to seven years and one month, and Scott Capstick to three years and four months.
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