Gang jailed after running Blackpool ‘drugs warehouse’

A group of men who ran a ‘warehouse’ to deal their drugs around Blackpool and the Fylde coast have been jailed.

The ‘Ozone’ Organised Crime Group (OCG) have been supplying drugs in Blackpool across the Fylde coast since as early as 2021, utilising the app ‘Telegram’ to advertise their drugs, before completing the sales using WhatsApp. The messages would include maps so that couriers knew where to deliver the drugs.

There was a complex investigation that led to the Ozone OCG, and its leader Joshua Shaw and associate Marc Kirkwood being brought to justice.

A call came in in March 2024 that Kirkwood and two other men, who were unknown to the victim, had turned up at an address in Poulton-Le-Fylde wearing face coverings and gloves and brandishing weapons including a machete-type knife and a baseball bat, at Shaw’s instruction.

They stormed into the woman’s house, with her children upstairs saying the woman had 20 minutes or they would firebomb her house.

They were demanding to know 'where the weed was', saying they were looking for a box which had a tracker in it showing at the woman’s address.

Officers attended the address and searched an open cardboard box in the front garden containing polystyrene and empty vacuum-packed plastic bags. Within the box was an invoice addressed to a different woman in Blackpool from a man in the United States. On the invoice it described the contents of the parcel as a coffee table and stools. Police also located a tracker tag.

Enquiries led police to understand that the woman’s partner had disposed of the empty box as a favour to a friend.

On 21st August 2024, police executed a warrant at an address on Whitegate Drive. When in that address, officers found a vast drugs operation, they were sending out a vast amount of Cannabis.

Within the warehouse there was space for storage, producing, packaging and preparing the supply of multiple types of cannabis and cannabis products.

Officers found rooms containing vast quantities of harvested cannabis bud in different strains, large vacuum-packed bags for wholesale as well as street-supply snap bags containing grams of cannabis, scales and other drug items.

When analysing a phone seized from the address, police uncovered messages relating to the supply, including delivery routes and addresses. There was also a number of images and videos found, showing cannabis.

There was evidence of Kirkwood and Shaw communicating with others involved in the drug line, including Joe Adams, John Card Mina, Joe Oakey and Craig Quinn.

In July 2024, Kirkwood filmed himself in cannabis grows, turning the camera towards himself, showing him smoking cannabis. He also showed the set-up of the cannabis farm including heat lamps, fans and pots of cannabis plants.

When Kirkwood and Shaw were arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to supply drugs December 2024, a search of their phones were conducted. Police found photograph shows Kirkwood wearing a police uniform from a force out of the area. Another member of the OCG, Cole Muir is also photographed in a police-style high-vis jacket. Kirkwood and the OCG members would wear police uniforms when burgling other cannabis farms. 

There were also messages evidencing drug dealing and showing when they had travelled to other countries.

One of the photos found on the phone was a screenshot of the address where Shaw and Kirkwood had threatened the woman. There were also messages between the two talking about the ‘missing’ parcel, with Shaw promising Kirkwood he ‘haven’t told anyone to go rob anything’.

During this search, police also located another distribution centre that Shaw had set up with Kirkwood’s assistance.

After being charged, Kirkwood was remanded to HMP Liverpool. In a search of his cell, a mobile phone hidden in a window vent was found. Whilst Kirkwood denied any knowledge of the phone, information on the device linked to Kirkwood and his associates.

A number of other warrants at addresses in Blackpool and Fylde uncovered further evidence of the gang’s criminality.

10 people were arrested and charged with offences relating to the OCG’s activities. Last week, they were jailed.

They are:

Joshua Shaw, 33, of no fixed abode, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply cannabis and importation of cannabis. He was found guilty of blackmail and was sentenced to 15 years in total.

Mark Kirkwood, 29, of Gynn Avenue, Blackpool, was found guilty of assisting an OCG and blackmail following a trial and has pleaded guilty to further charges of conspiracy to supply drugs and conspiracy to produce drugs as well as conspiracy to commit burglary. He was sentenced to eight years and six months total.

Albert Marashi, 30, of Cleveleys Avenue, Thornton was found guilty of conspiracy to supply and produce cannabis and was sentenced to four years.

Cole Muir, 27, of Bela Grove, Blackpool, pleaded guilty to being concerned in the supply of cannabis and conspiracy to commit burglary and was sentenced to 42 weeks.

Joseph Adams, 34 of Sherbourne pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply cannabis and was sentenced to 66 weeks, suspended for 12 months with 120 hours unpaid work.

John Card-Mina, 41, of Cannon Hill, Ashton on Ribble, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply cannabis and was sentenced to 17 Months suspended for 12 Months.

Craig Quinn, 50, of Harcourt Road, Blackpool, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply cannabis and was sentenced to 15 Months suspended for 18 months with 120 hours unpaid work.

Joseph Oakley, 33, of Belmont Avenue, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply cannabis and was sentenced to 15 months suspended for 18 months with 120 hours unpaid work.

David Everton, 33, of Ludlow Grove, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply and produce cannabis and was sentenced to 3 years imprisonment.

DS Ant Alves of the West Targeted Crime Team said: “Shaw and Kirkwood thought that it was ok to threaten a woman and her children when their Cannabis deliveries didn’t go to plan. They ran a sophisticated set up to prepare and sell their drugs to some of the most vulnerable in Blackpool and the Fylde Coast.

“Kirkwood’s offending continued whilst he was on remand in prison, hiding a phone detailing his criminality.

“Both Kirkwood and Shaw, along with the rest of their OGC made a decision to produce and supply drugs, running their gang as if it was a professional distribution centre.

“Actions like theirs will not be tolerated in our county and we will continue to disrupt the supply of drugs in Lancashire.”

Operation Warrior is Lancashire Police's response to tackling serious and organised crime in Lancashire, which is backed by Police and Crime Commissioner Clive Grunshaw.

Clive Grunshaw, Lancashire's Police and Crime Commissioner said: "Op Warrior has my continued backing in the fight against organised crime gangs attempting to operate here in Lancashire.

"Officers work day and night to remove drugs from our streets, safeguard vulnerable people and to ensure that suspects are arrested and put behind bars.

"I remain fully committed to supporting the Chief Constable, ensuring our officers and staff have the resources they need to dismantle criminal gangs, drive offenders out of our communities, and deliver justice."