Members of East Lancashire cocaine gang jailed

A gang who worked to flood the streets of East Lancashire with cocaine have been jailed.

Work began to take down the organised crime group (OCG), codenamed Operation Chelsea, in December 2023 when police seized of drug dealer Deon Houghton and he was found to have been in contact with the defendant Darren McKenzie.

Enquiries found that McKenzie was the head of the OCG and Houghton, who is due to be sentenced later this year as part of a different drugs operation, was his trusted lieutenant.

McKenzie bought large quantities of cocaine from defendant Martin Day and then supplied them on to street dealers in Hyndburn and Darwen.

When McKenzie was arrested and remanded into custody on 11^th January 2024 his phone was seized, which revealed a wealth of evidence about who he was supplying cocaine to, who owed him money and ultimately who his fellow drug dealers were.

Defendant Daniel Cregg was a cocaine street dealer who sourced his drugs from McKenzie and regularly owed him money.

Defendant Joshua Bray was a cocaine street dealer who sourced his drugs from McKenzie. Such was the trust between the pair, that McKenzie often gave Bray the cocaine on credit.

Defendant Allen Aggrey sourced his cocaine from McKenzie. He often struggled to sell the drugs, regularly owing McKenzie money. On one occasion he had to pay his drugs debt to McKenzie from his legitimate income.

Defendants Jake Duxbury and Judson Hickey were cocaine street dealers who sourced their drugs from McKenzie. There was evidence recovered of both men owing McKenzie a drugs debt.

Defendants Lee Murray, Daniel Scholes, Eamonn Wyer and Michael Wyre were cocaine street dealer who purchased their drugs from McKenzie.

As well as being a cocaine street dealer who purchased his drugs from McKenzie, defendant Liam Threlfall imported and sold on cannabis to other drug dealers.

The remaining 11 defendants were arrested on a strike day on 5^th March 2024.

At Scholes’ house in Accrington police found mobile phones, cocaine, £500 cash and weapons; at Michael Wyre’s house in Oswaldtwistle we found a backpack containing drugs paraphernalia, cocaine and £260 cash; at Bray’s house in Accrington we found drugs paraphernalia, drugs, a mobile phone and £500 cash; and at Eamonn Wyre’s house in Accrington we found cocaine, weapons, a Rolex watch, a mobile phone and cash.

The defendants were convicted of the following offences and were sentenced at Preston Crown Court over earlier this week.

Houghton, 40, of Barnes, Street, Clayton-le-Moors, convicted of conspiracy to supply cocaine. Jailed for six years and three months.

Mckenzie, 36, of no fixed address, convicted of conspiracy to supply cocaine. Jailed for five years.

Day, 54, of no fixed address, convicted of conspiracy to supply cocaine. Jailed for six years.

Scholes, 34, of Marlborough Road, Accrington, convicted of conspiracy to supply cocaine. Jailed for 45 months.

Bray, 31, of Marsden Street, Accrington, convicted of conspiracy to supply cocaine. Jailed for three years and nine years.

Cregg, 48, of no fixed address, convicted of conspiracy to supply cocaine. Jailed for six years and three months.

Threlfall, 29 of Moss Street, Great Harwood, convicted of being concerned in the supply of cocaine and conspiracy to import and supply cannabis. Jailed for three and a half years.

Aggrey, 44, of Kempton Close, Droylsden, convicted of being concerned in the supply of cocaine. Sentenced to two years custody, suspended for two years.

Duxbury, 27, of Beech Grove, Accrington, convicted of being concerned in the supply of cocaine. Sentenced to two years custody, suspended for two years.

Eamon Wyre, 57, of Plantation Road, Accrington, convicted of being concerned in the supply of cocaine. Sentenced to two years custody, suspended for two years.

Michael Wyre, 39, of Melbourne Street, Oswaldtwistle, convicted of being concerned in the supply of cocaine. Sentenced to two years custody, suspended for two years.

Hickey, 25, of Oakenshaw Croft, Clayton-le-Moors, convicted of being concerned in the supply of cocaine. Sentenced to two years custody, suspended for two years.

Murray, 43, of Broadfield Road, Accrington, convicted of conspiracy to supply cocaine. Sentenced to two years custody, suspended for two years.

DS Stu Peall, from the East Exploitation Team, said: “These men were all cogs in an effort to push cocaine throughout East Lancashire.

“We will continue to target those who seek to sell Class A drugs on the streets of Lancashire, dismantle their drug empires and put them before the courts.”

The action was taken as part of Operation Warrior, which is our response to tackling serious and organised crime in Lancashire and delivering on Police and Crime Commissioner Clive Grunshaw's Fighting Crime Plan priority of disrupting and dismantling organised crime.

Mr Grunshaw said: "Successful outcomes like this demonstrate the tireless work being done to protect the public and show that Lancashire is taking a relentless approach to tackling organised crime.

 "Strong deterrents and proactive enforcement, driven by local intelligence, are essential. Equally important is early intervention to stop crime before it escalates and to break the cycle of reoffending.

"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."