Operation Dorado Sees 26 Drug Dealers Jailed For 81 Years

Nathaniel SamuelsMalachi MowattSeven more people have been imprisoned on the final day of sentencing resulting from West Mercia Police's major anti-drugs initiative, Operation Dorado. It means that over the last three days, a total of 26 people have been sentenced to a total of 81 years for conspiracy to supply Class A drugs.

This morning, a second organised crime group supplying heroin and crack cocaine from Birmingham into Worcester were jailed by Judge Patrick Thomas at Worcester Crown Court.

• Nathaniel Samuels, aged 21 of Hobson Close, Birmingham, was sentenced to seven years and six months;
• Malachi Mowatt, aged 25 of Auckland Road, Birmingham, was sentenced to four years;
• Kylee Hodgson, aged 26 of Brooke Street, Dudley, was sentenced to three years;
• Maria Fortey, aged 50 of Park Street, Worcester, and Lieann Smith, aged 29 of Broad Street, Worcester, were both sentenced to 20 months.

Mohammed IshaqMohammed IllyasThis afternoon, two other men from Birmingham were also sentenced for their involvement in other drug dealing operations.

Mohammed Ishaq, aged 34 of South Road, Hockley, Birmingham was sentenced to six years. He was also bringing drugs to Worcester and using a group of drug addicts from the city as runners. Gary Griffin, Michael Juson and Leighton Bowkett were all sentenced to 20 months each on Tuesday.

Mohammed Ilyas, aged 18 of Davey Road, Birmingham was sentenced to two years and nine months for his involvement with Mohammed Bashir and Liam O'Rourke, jailed yesterday, who were purchasing drugs in Birmingham and travelling to Worcester to distribute them.

Covert operation

Operation Dorado started with a covert phase that took many months with detectives  collecting evidence against criminals from the West Midlands and street dealers in Worcester. This included an undercover officer, referred to in court only as ‘Danny' infiltrating the drugs community in Worcester and over four months purchasing cocaine and heroin from many different dealers.

On Tuesday, 16 offenders were imprisoned and a further three yesterday, all for conspiracy to supply Class A drugs. Following the lengthy hearing on Tuesday, Recorder Andrew Easteal said of Operation Dorado: "My admiration is enormous for the amount of work that has been done and how it was carried out by officers from West Mercia Police and the prosecuting team from the CPS.

"I would also like to express my thanks for the test purchase officer known as Danny for his work and for quite literally putting his life on the line." 

Detective Inspector Carl Moore, who led the operation, said: "Operation Dorado was a complex and longstanding investigation that was launched following concerns raised by residents in Worcester, in particular about street dealing.

"Although the issue of drugs is no more of a problem in Worcester than it is elsewhere in the country, the unlawful supply of controlled drugs by organised gangs has a real impact on all of our communities.  The misuse of drugs is a factor in many other types of crimes, for example burglary, and we are determined to deal with those who seek to profit from this type of organised criminality.

"During this investigation we specifically targeted those organising the drug supply in order that we could have the biggest impact on those who were profiting the most.

"Dorado aimed to not just tackle street dealers but the organised crime groups who were supplying them with heroin and cocaine, many of them working out of Birmingham and the Black Country.

"I hope that the sentences being handed out at court will serve as a real deterrent to others involved in the supply of controlled drugs.

"Many different specialist departments and units have taken part in Dorado and we have worked closely with colleagues from West Midlands Police and British Transport Police, sharing intelligence and resources to ensure there is no hiding place for those intent on profiting from other people's misery."

Sentencing details

Those sentenced yesterday by Judge Patrick Thomas were:

• Mohammed Bashir, aged 45 of Madehurst Rd, Erdington, Birmingham, was sentenced to four years;
• Liam O'Rourke aged 26 of Millhams Avenue, Lyppard Woodgreen, Worcester, was sentenced to three years;
• Darren Morris, aged 39 of Wylds Lane, Worcester, was sentenced to 20 months;

Those sentenced on Tuesday by Recorder Andrew Easteal were:

• Richard Johnson, date of birth 02/02/1978, Barbourne Road, Worcester, was sentenced to five years and four months imprisonment;
• Mohammed Sadiq, 06/04/1986, Wavers Marston, Birmingham, was sentenced to five years and four months;
• Rohan Hanchard-Kerr, 20/06/1991, Clark Road, Wolverhampton, was sentenced to four years and four months;
• Muddsiar Shabir, 29/07/1980, Friesland Close, Worcester, was sentenced to three years and eight months.
• Neil Jones, 28/08/1978, Doverdale Close, Redditch, was sentenced to three years and six months.
• Jamal Al Ghani (Previously John Harriott), 12/09/1987, Nibley Close, Warndon, Worcester, was sentenced to three years.
• Mohammed Khaled Hussain, 21/10/1987, Arboretum Road, Worcester, was sentenced to three years.
• Matthew Wright, 15/05/1986, Tolladine Road, Worcester, was sentenced to two years and ten months.
• Cheryl Mapp, 22/07/1981, Doverdale Close, Redditch, was sentenced to two years and ten months.
• Simon Sliwinski, 02/08/1972, No Fixed Abode, was sentenced to two years.
• John-Pierre Francis, 03/06/1977, Wylds Lane, Worcester, was sentenced to two years.
• Gary Griffin, 01/08/1979, Crickley Drive, Worcester, was sentenced to 20 months.
• Michael Juson, 16/04/1967, Of No Fixed Abode, was sentenced to 20 months.
• Leighton Bowkett, 17/05/1973, Brookthorpe Close, Warndon, Worcester, was sentenced to 20 months.
• Mark Machae, 17/08/1973, Gresham Rd, Dines Green, Worcester, was sentenced to 20 months.
• Jason George, 31/12/1983, Sansome Walk, Worcester, was sentenced to 16 months.

Issued: Thursday 26 September 2012