PDA

View Full Version : International steroids gang based in Cheltenham foiled by village postmaster



PAiN
08-15-2014, 07:21 AM
International steroids gang based in Cheltenham foiled by village postmaster


August 14, 2014
Two men at the centre of a half-a-million pound drugs gang have been jailed following an international conspiracy to sell illegal steroids.

The ring was smashed after a suspicious village postmaster alerted authorities about the amount of packages being sent overseas.

Mark Smy was jailed for three-and-a-half years after leading “relatively sophisticated” plot, which saw drugs being imported in from China and sold across the world.

His chemist, Dean Jouni, was sent to prison for two-and-a-half years for his part in the conspiracy which took place across four years.

Gloucester Crown Court heard Smy, 51, of Pittville Lawn set up companies in a fake name to send the drugs, mostly to America, before the plot was foiled by a Charlton Kings postmaster’s suspicion.

On arrest police found £118,000 worth of the drugs, which was said to be between nine months and one year’s stock, during the illegal business which ran between January 2008 and February 2013.

Robert Gillespie, 35, of Elliott Place, Cheltenham and Carl Fletcher, 50, of Old House, Sheffield, Walsall both avoided jail after being involved in lesser roles of the plot for shorter periods of time.

Judge Jamie Tabor QC said the amount of the drugs seized gave an indication that it was a “major enterprise”.

He said: “This business must have turned over well in excess of half-a-million pounds during the course of the conspiracy.

“The postmaster at Charlton Kings became suspicious because of the sheer number of parcels, between 120 and 200 per month, that were being sent under the guise of being costume jewellery.

“Mr Smy and Mr Jouni made very much of the profits and rewarded themselves with a holiday in the Caymen Islands, a far from cheap location.”

The pair both pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply Class C drugs, conspiracy to evade the prohibition of importing Class C drugs into the UK under the Customs and Excise Act and conspiracy to evade importation duty.

Jailing Smy the judge told him: “You accepted you were the man controlling and the rest only saw what you wanted them to see.”

He told Jouni, 34, of Yorkley Road,: “You were heavily involved.

“You have a previous conviction for a similar offence, but on a much smaller scale.

“Your eyes were wide open and you knew precisely what you were doing.”

The court heard Gillespie, a former cocaine user, was paid £2,000 per month, for his part in repackaging and couriering the drugs, but got out of the gang before they were caught.

He was sentenced to a 22 month prison sentence, suspended for two years and ordered to carry out 200 hours unpaid work after he pleaded guilty to two charges of conspiracy to evade the prohibition on the importation of drugs and conspiracy to supply.

Fletcher, who joined in when it was set up, used his contacts in the fitness and bodybuilding markets to help, was given a one year jail sentenced, suspended for two years and told to carry out 200 hours unpaid work after he admitted conspiring to supply the drugs.

A Proceeds of Crime hearing will take place on March 6, next year.

Source and photos:

http://www.gloucestershireecho.co.uk/International-steroids-gang-based-Cheltenham/story-22732742-detail/story.html#7IT3VZbT688HCcbL.99

studmuffin
08-15-2014, 09:34 PM
120 to 200 packages a month!WTF