Drug gang had so much money they could let £60,000 rot away

TWELVE gang members face jail for running a 62m drug smuggling plot which involved moving large amounts of skunk cannabis through Yorkshire.

Believed to be Britain’s most prolific importers of the highly potent cannabis strain, the men brought the drugs into the UK hidden in flowers from Holland.

Their conspiracy grew so large that, at one point, they were shipping in consignments worth up to 750,000 a week and receiving more “dirty” cash than they could handle.

Detectives uncovered the true scale of the operation when they found fat bundles of banknotes rotting in an underground safe.

The gang initially brought the drugs through Harwich in Essex but, after officers at that port intercepted a shipment, they switched their focus to Yorkshire.

From September 2008, the cannabis was shipped to Hull and taken to a warehouse in Leeds before being transported to a number of lock-up garages in the South of England.

Police swooped in November 2008 after more than two years of detective work, including undercover surveillance.

Detective Chief Inspector Steve Wallace, of Scotland Yard’s special intelligence section, said the gang “cornered the market” for skunk in England.

He said: “So much cash was generated by the venture that during our searches we found cash rotting away. In the floor of one premises was a safe containing 225,000, of which 60,000 was going mouldy.

“There was so much cash lying around that they did not know what to do with it. We took the ruined money to the Bank of England as it was no good to anybody.”

The gang’s so-called board of directors was led by Terence Bowler, 40, of Kingston, Surrey, and included Peter Moran, 37, of Fulham, west London, and Mark Kinnimont, 40, of Surbiton, Surrey. All three pleaded guilty to conspiring to import controlled drugs and conspiring to launder the proceeds of crime.

Mr Wallace said they never came into contact with the drugs or large quantities of money, but held meetings in restaurants and checked cars for tracking devices.

“These individuals were at the very top of these organised crime networks,” Mr Wallace added. “They had good character and had never come to our attention before.

“These people are the ‘untouchable’ ones. To all intents and purposes they appear to be respectable businessmen.”

The conspiracy can now be reported after a Southwark Crown Court trial involving other gang members concluded.

Liam Salter, 39, of Tadworth, Surrey, David Couchman, 38, of Southwark, south London, and Sullivan, 38, of Epsom, Surrey, all pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply drugs and conspiracy to launder the proceeds of crime.

Asim Bashir, 35, of Ilford, Essex, was convicted of laundering the proceeds of crime.

Roger Alexander, 44, of High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, earned 150 to 175 per kilo by selling the drug, and admitted conspiracy to supply controlled goods and conspiracy to launder the proceeds of crime.

Peter Brown, 37, of, Kingston, only joined the operation in September 2008, but played a key role once the drugs started being imported to Leeds via Hull.

He was witnessed meeting dealer Barrie Burn, 59, of Bristol, and both pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply drugs.

Andrew West, 36, of Tadworth, was a driver for the gang and pleaded guilty to conspiracy to launder the proceeds of crime.

Driver James Hay, of Ashtead, Surrey, who helped to transport drugs and money, was found guilty of possession with intent to supply controlled drugs.