Police score major victory in battle against cocaine dealing in East Lancashire

10:00pm Saturday 18th August 2012 in News

DETECTIVES say the have scored a major victory in the war on cocaine dealing in Lancashire after the convictions of three involved in a ‘cutting agent’ operation.

Large barrels of benzocaine were imported from Shangai to addresses in Burnley and Derbyshire so it could be blended with cocaine by Manchester drug dealers, Preston Crown Court heard.

Clifford Hall, from Milton Keynes, was responsible for ordering benzocaine from China using the details of bogus chemical companies.

The likes of Christopher Pounder, from Parkinson Street, Burnley, took delivery of importations in large quantities.

Prosecutors said in one deal alone Pounder, posing as an agent for the fictitious chemical firm Chemax, received a 27kg barrel which had been falsely labelled as methyl cellulose.

Hall, 31, was found guilty by a jury of assisting in the supply of class A drugs, a charge which Pounder admitted before the crown court trial.

Jurors found Mandy Hopkins, of Dall Street, Burnley Wood, not guilty of the same offence. She had insisted she had no knowledge of what was inside the barrels when they were delivered to her property.

Earlier in the proceedings Scott Grindley, 24, of Hollingreave Road, Burnley, alleged to have transported the benzocaine to Middleton in Greater Manchester, was also cleared of the same offence.

Stephen Baylis, 31, also from Milton Keynes and Hall’s former housemate, was also found not guilty ot the drugs charge.

And a not guilty verdict was also entered against Jade Chadburn, 19, of Arran Street, Burnley, said to be Pounder’s girlfriend at the time, after the prosecutiong offered no evidence before the trial began. Pounder and Hall will be sentenced later.

Speaking after the case, Det Insp Graham Gallagher, of Lancashire Police’s serious and organised crime unit said the drugs gang was importing 20 times the legitimate quantities of benzocaine than leading legitimate drugs companies.

He added: “There is no lawful reason for any person to be in possession of benzocaine in the quantities found during this investigation, other than for criminal purposes.

“In seizing this benzocaine, Lancashire Constabulary has prevented a significantly large amount of a cutting agent from being mixed with illegal drugs and making its way on to our streets where it could have caused damage to our communities.”

Comments(15)

Common_Sense1 says...
11:31pm Sat 18 Aug 12

A lot of not guilty verdicts and no one charge with supplying the cocaine that was to be blended. Hardly a great result!

Report this post »

district01 says...
11:45pm Sat 18 Aug 12

Common_Sense1 wrote:
A lot of not guilty verdicts and no one charge with supplying the cocaine that was to be blended. Hardly a great result!
'Thanks' to all those who are doing there best to rid ourselves of this evil trade. Such a pity those who have been given the responsibility to do something don't. It needs a firm commitment from our leaders which seems to be lacking!

Report this post »

penno195 says...
4:30am Sun 19 Aug 12

They where selling a legal product, what next put the managers of PC world in jail for selling laptops to pedophiles?

Report this post »

happycyclist says...
8:03am Sun 19 Aug 12

Speaking after the case, Det Insp Graham Gallagher, of Lancashire Police’s serious and organised crime unit said the drugs gang was importing 20 times the legitimate quantities of benzocaine than leading legitimate drugs companies.

He added: “There is no lawful reason for any person to be in possession of benzocaine in the quantities found during this investigation, other than for criminal purposes."

So benzocaine is legal as long as you have less than 'legitimate' drugs companies? WTF?

Report this post »

malcolmkyle says...
9:31am Sun 19 Aug 12

Due to prohibition, cheap growing equipment and a few seeds from friends, or ordered over the internet, it's now possible to grow a million quid in just 12 weeks. Why are we wasting our precious resources on a futile attempt at trying to prevent the impossible? Who gains? Everywhere I go I continually come across people discussing their latest growing techniques or swapping recipes for pest control. I've been shown more indoor gardens than holiday photos. Why are we all buying into this farce? End the madness; legalise and regulate all drugs!

Report this post »

JohnR1 says...
9:35am Sun 19 Aug 12

So, the cutting agent has been intercepted, it only means that the 'Coke' available on the street will be cut with something else. Possibly something far more dangerous than Benzocaine. The purity of street drugs will always remain doubltful as long as the prohibition exists. There is clearly a market for these substances and the criminal fraternity are laughing all the way to the money launderer without a care as to whose life they mess up. The only ID card any kid requires to but off these leeches is a Ten Pound note. If some form of government process could allow the open trade of recreational drugs coupled with strict control like with the 'legal' drugs Alcohol and Tobacco, we would not see half the misery that the current state of affairs creates. People could take drugs that were as described and not some concoction of chemicals formulated to maximise the dealers' profits with no concern for the users. A system of education could also be implemented which would allow informed use of recreational drugs with correct dosages, interactions with alcohol etc. which would cut the number of kids ending up on the mortuary slab through their foray into the unknown.

Report this post »

psch says...
10:35am Sun 19 Aug 12

Success! Incompetence is the word that comes to mind. With that many not guilty verdicts either the investigation was not done properly or a number of people charged who should not have been. Either way questions must be asked. Will the new Police Commissioner do this? I think not.

Report this post »

DaveBurnley says...
11:13am Sun 19 Aug 12

So they've had a partial victory against one source. Why not try targeting the youngsters driving round in Porsches and other flash cars and enquire how they got the money to buy such an expensive car?

Report this post »

woolywords says...
12:07pm Sun 19 Aug 12

Why weren't they charged with conspiracy to produce counterfeit goods?
The fact that the product is an illegal substance should have no bearing on the matter. Customers should have a 'reasonable expectation' that what they are buying is 'of mechantable quality'. Sale of Goods Act 1979 s 14(2) applies.
I formed this opinion a long time before this particular case having read this.. http://www.economist
.com/node/21560270?f
src=scn/tw_ec/all_cu
t_up
Dare I say, a clear cut case of excessive profiteering on the misery of others?

Report this post »

mavrick says...
12:16pm Sun 19 Aug 12

They know they are fighting a losing battle, I won't repeat what JohnR1 says but until we as a society make some realistic decisions things won't change.

Report this post »

will12 says...
12:53pm Sun 19 Aug 12

They put an animal's down for the slightest thing, yet the vermin that are human-like are allowed to trade illegal drug's, cut with anything from paracetamol to icing sugar !!!!

There needs to be a population cull now, and cut this "druggie" diseased vermin from those of us that still respect Society !!!!

And those that want it legallised are obviously on something !!!! and it ain't what you think your taking unless you are making it yourself !!!

Report this post »

disgusted tunbridge wells says...
1:14pm Sun 19 Aug 12

Burnley the centre of The World's chemical industry, amazing

Report this post »

will12 says...
2:18pm Sun 19 Aug 12

disgusted tunbridge wells wrote:
Burnley the centre of The World's chemical industry, amazing
Well we are one of Europe's Money Laundering Capital's and it also fits well with the one of the UK's largest Drug area's........Everyo
ne round here knows that................
... DOH !!!!!! Well except for those that are Poltically Correct ;-)'

Report this post »

Benjis mum says...
5:11pm Sun 19 Aug 12

DaveBurnley wrote:
So they've had a partial victory against one source. Why not try targeting the youngsters driving round in Porsches and other flash cars and enquire how they got the money to buy such an expensive car?
Its not just the cost of buying these cars that puzzles me Dave. I cant see how they can afford to insure them when they are so young.

Due to the crash for cash scams that were carried out in this area, older cheaper and lower powered cars cost more experienced older drivers a fortune to insure.

Report this post »

FreddyF says...
5:53pm Sun 19 Aug 12

Congratulations to the police for scoring a major victory. Soon we will have a completely drug-free country, with the exception of alcohol, for which we can just cover our ears and eyes and sing "la la la la la, no elephants in this room!".

Report this post »

click2find

About cookies

We want you to enjoy your visit to our website. That's why we use cookies to enhance your experience. By staying on our website you agree to our use of cookies. Find out more about the cookies we use.

I agree