Over 12.5 tonnes of cannabis resin \u2013 enough to produce 36 million spliffs \u2013 has been incinerated after an investigation by the Serious Organised Crime Agency.<\/p>\n
The drugs seizure, from the tug boat \u2018Abbira\u2019 which had docked at Southampton, represents one of the largest seizures of cannabis resin in the UK. It was destroyed in a specialist incinerator and needed 6 separate burnings to cope with the volume.<\/p>\n
10 men were convicted at Winchester Crown Court today for their part in the criminal plot.<\/p>\n
In a coordinated operation led by SOCA and involving Leicestershire Police, HMRC andUKBA, 12 men were arrested on the 09th April 2008, at the same time as a search of the Abbira began. Over a number of days, 419 bales of cannabis weighing 12.57 tonnes in total were removed from the fresh water, ballast and foam tanks of the tug.<\/p>\n
The prosecution showed that an Israeli organised crime group employed an Eastern European crew to transport the drugs to the UK for delivery to a Leicester based criminal gang. Significant national and international cooperation was needed to target the various groups, and resulted in a lengthy trial with multiple translations and complex argument to prove the importation offence.<\/p>\n
Andy Sellers, Deputy Director of SOCA, said:
\n\u201cThis operation was a massive success for international and national law enforcement cooperation. The quantity of drugs seized would have resulted in upwards of three and a half million street deals and would have funded a wide range of other criminal activity. \u201cTaking out both ends of the criminal operation means that not only have we disrupted a supply route into the UK, but also a distribution network that would most likely have stretched right across the UK.\u201d<\/p>\n
Joanne Jakymec, Senior Lawyer, Revenue and Customs Prosecutions Office said:
\n“This conviction represents 14 months of dedicated team work between several departments overcoming multiple language barriers. The defendants included nationals from the UK, Israel, Serbia and Ukraine, and as a result international assistance was sought from 10 different countries. The RCPO prosecution team presented over 5000 pages of evidence in support of their case, including material from Israel, USA and Holland.’<\/p>\n
Commander Chris Pratt of HM Revenue & Customs \/UK Border Agency said:
\n\u201cThe cutter crew and rummage teams used breathing apparatus equipment to remove the drugs from the Abbira\u2019s water and ballast tanks. It took our officers nearly five days to recover and offload the 419 bales from these confined chambers. This was a huge amount of cannabis resin to discover on one vessel and an excellent result for all the organisations involved.\u201d<\/p>\n
Detective Chief Inspector David Sandall, who led the Leicestershire side of the investigation, said:
\n\u201cThis case demonstrates how different agencies can successfully work together to disable the international drugs trade. \u201cDrugs are an international concern and to fight multi-national criminality you have to think, act and work outside the county boundaries. There\u2019s no doubt in my mind that this drugs haul was bound for the streets of Britain, some of which would inevitably have ended up in Leicester. By working with SOCA, the UKBA, HMRC and authorities in Israel we have targeted the problem at the source.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s \u00a336m of cannabis that will never reach the street dealers and there are 10 men in prison for their part in this crime. Everyone who worked on this case can feel proud of their achievements today and the part they played in a much bigger picture, targeting international drugs criminality, while at the same time disrupting local drugs supply on the UK\u2019s streets.\u201d
\nThe 10 men will be sentenced on Thursday 04 June 2009 at Winchester Crown Court.<\/p>\n
Details of the verdicts:
\nMoshe KEDAR d.o.b 12\/07\/1927 (Israel) Guilty 29\/052009
\nYehezkel SREBRO d.o.b 12\/11\/1951 (Israel) Pleaded 29\/09\/08
\nMordechai HERSH d.o.b 25\/11\/1941 (Israel) Guilty 29\/05\/2009
\nMohinder Singh RAI d.o.b 22\/02\/1964 (UK National) Pleaded 29\/09\/08
\nBaljinder Singh RAI d.o.b 18\/10\/1967 (UK National) Pleaded 29\/09\/08
\nAnjum NAZIR d.o.b 01\/02\/1970 (UK National) Pleaded 17\/02\/09
\nDragan STANKOVIC d.o.b 17\/12\/1954 (Serbian) Guilty 29\/05\/2009
\nGoram OTOVIC d.o.b 28\/04\/1955 (Serbian) Guilty 29\/05\/2009
\nDusan MILEUSNIC d.o.b 07\/10\/1959 (Serbian) Guilty 02\/06\/2009
\nNegovan JOVANOVIC d.o.b 07\/09\/1950 (Serbian) Guilty 02\/06\/2009
\nYaroslav KSENOVETS d.o.b 04\/09\/1973 (Ukraine) Acquitted 02\/06\/09
\nSergiy KHODOS d.o.b 08\/02\/1983 (Ukraine) Acquitted 02\/06\/09<\/p>\n