Jailed: Black Country trio part of operation that saw cocaine worth almost half-a-million pounds seized

Prosecutor Christine Hart told Gloucester Crown Court that ‘Operation Global’ had resulted in just under £500,000 worth of cocaine being seized, along with £108,600 cash.

Among the eight men sentenced on Friday were Trevor Cook, aged 48, of Wheelwright Close Darlaston; Michael Chand, 54, of Old Bridge Walk, Rowley Regis, and Brett Anslow, 39, of Four Winds Road, Dudley.

Anslow was jailed for nine years, while Cook and Chand were both given six-year prison terms.

Judge Ian Lawrie KC said that the figures were 'just the tip of the iceberg' because the drug operation had been going on for some time before people started getting caught.

Ms Hart said: “It follows that the drugs recovered upon the arrests of individuals relate to only a proportion of the drugs supplied throughout the conspiracy period, which ran from February 2020 through to September 2021, a period of some 19 months.”

Judge Lawrie told the eight defendants that whatever their role was in the illicit operation they each had a knowledge of the purpose and the scale of the enterprise and were driven for financial reward.

The prosecution outlined that Shane Tyrrell 48, of Cliff View, Sedbury, Gloucestershire, and Richard Lawrence, 34, of Smithy Road, Llandogo, Monmouthshire, were involved from February 2020.

In October 2020 the upstream supply of cocaine was being brought from the West Midlands down to the Forest of Dean and Monmouth area.

“The conspiracy involved two separate, but linked, organised crime groups," said Ms Hart.

"There were 35 known key meetings between the two groups throughout this period.

“Cook attended meetings in Monmouth and Forest of Dean on 22 occasions, while Chand travelled to Monmouthshire and Gloucestershire on five occasions.

“Paul Johnson, 35, of Queens Acre, Newnham on Severn, Gloucestershire, attended drug meetings in Dudley on two occasions while Tyrrell travelled to the West Midlands at least once.

“Lawrence travelled to Dudley on four occasions and Jason Grindle 36, of Market Place, Coleford, Gloucestershire, travelled twice. Both Lawrence and Grindle are said to have met up with Anslow at Brightwells car auctions in Leominster.

“There is clear evidence that both groups had the means to adulterate the cocaine to ensure large profits from its onward sale.”

The court was told that the group in the West Midlands was headed by Anslow, with Cook and Chand working with him.

The Forest of Dean and Monmouthshire group was headed by Lawrence, with Johnson, Tyrrell and Grindle working for him.

Ms Hart added: “Another man Alan Ballinger, 28, formerly of Coleford and also of Coniston Road, Cheltenham, is a cocaine dealer in his own right, and was seen to have taken Lawrence’s role after his arrest in July 2021 and continued to be supplied by the West Midlands group.

“The course and extent of the offending is mapped through telecommunications and automatic number plate recognition data (ANPR), along with direct observations of key players, followed by arrests and searches of premises.

“They show the frequency of trips from and to the West Midlands and the interactions between the groups and the defendants.

"Some of the data records that in the afternoon of January 9, 2021, Cook travels to Sedbury and communicates directly with Tyrrell. He then sends Anslow a message, ‘Done pal, on way back’.

"On April 13, Anslow bought a Honda Civic in Leominster, Herefordshire. The following day, it was insured by Chand who was later seen using it.

"The following day, April 14, Grindle travelled to Monmouth and then went with Lawrence to meet Anslow at the car auctions in Leominster.

"Lawrence was observed taking a bag from his car and putting it into Anslow’s car.

“It is of note that throughout the investigation, messages were exchanged concerning the buying of cars. The use of car sales and auctions is a common way to launder the proceeds of drug dealing,” the prosecutor said.

The court heard that on the April 16, 2021, Lawrence and Grindle travelled from Monmouth and drove to Dudley.

Chand was seen to enter Anslow’s address in Dudley and, shortly after, at about 4.05pm, Grindle’s car stopped outside the address.

Ms Hart added: “A man was seen to leave the passenger side carrying an inch thick A4 envelope. Two minutes later, the man left the address with an A4-sized package and entered Chand’s work van and drive off.

“At about 5pm on April, 23, Anslow was seen driving a Vauxhall Vivaro van in Kingswinford in the West Midlands. Police officers tried to stop the van by boxing it in.

“However, Anslow collided with a police car and drove off at high speed. The van was later found unlocked and abandoned. The police recovered a Nokia phone from the van, which was later attributed to Anslow.

“At about 7.30pm, Johnson was seen in the drivers’ seat of his car at St Briavels Castle in the Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire, by PC Boyden.

“The officer spoke to him through an open window and noted a suspicious package wrapped in cling film on the back seat. He explained that he would be detained for a drugs search, however Johnson put his car keys in the ignition. As PC Boyden reached in the window to try and remove them, Johnson accelerated forwards knocking him off his feet.

“His arm remained in the car and meant he was able to pull the keys out the ignition. PC Boyden estimates the car travelled about two or three metres with him ‘hanging on the side’.

“When Johnson was eventually detained he told officers, ‘That box in the back seat, there is weed in it and I’ve only just picked up the box. There will be a bag of white powder in the car, that’s mine.

“A box containing nearly one kilogram of cannabis and 0.854 grams of cocaine was seized, along with three further packages containing a total of 22.4g of crack cocaine and 69.8 grams of cocaine hydrochloride were also found on the floor along with two mobile phones."

Ms Hart continued: "On May 27, Lawrence was observed outside his address in Llandogo in the Wye Valley, next to a car that had been hired by a member of Johnson’s family. He was then seen to visit Tyrrell’s butcher’s shop in Sedbury and phoned the others.

"At 6pm Chand drove to Monmouth and Lawrence messaged Anslow, ‘Do I need to pay this guy?’ Lawrence then messaged Chand with the Redbrook Road, Monmouth, supermarket postcode. When the deal is done Chand is spotted making his return journey to the West Midlands.

"On May 28, 2021, Lawrence was observed driving to a self-storage container in Manson’s Lane, Monmouth and on June 1, 2021, he was again observed at the container, taking from it a brown box.

"On June, 24, 2021 Lawrence and Grindle arrived at the storage container in a BMW. A brown box (about a foot square) and a red bag were taken from the boot and placed in the container. Four days later, Grindle attended the container and paid the manager £200 in cash for its rental.

“On July 6, 2021, Tyrell was under observation by covert officers. He was seen to leave his home address at 6.33am. CCTV shows he arrived at the butchers shop about two minutes later,” the prosecutor said.

“Internal CCTV recovered from Sedbury Butchers shows him place a blue tub into a black bin liner. He is seen to carry two laden bin liners to his car before returning to his home address at about 9.20am.

“Observations continued throughout the day and Tyrell is seen to come and go from Sedbury butchers several times.

“At about 5.40pm two police teams simultaneously arrested Tyrrell and Lawrence at their home addresses. Warrants were also executed at two addresses linked to them.

“Within the garage of Tyrrell’s property, police found four containers of high purity cocaine totalling 3,418 grams. They also found 1,222 grams of benzocaine a common cocaine bulking agent.

“When one of the four tubs was forensically tested, Tyrell’s DNA and Cook’s fingerprints, were located on it. That tub contained 2,779 grams of cocaine and on its own, had a street value of £277,900 if sold in gram deals.

“In addition, a bag containing 971 grams of amphetamine, valued at around £9,710. Further drugs paraphernalia was located within the garage which included what appeared to be a custom-made drugs press, along with a blender, digital scales contaminated with white powder and a number of plastic food bags.

“When the Sedbury butchers was searched, four bags containing amphetamine was found in the freezer at the rear of the shop. This had a total weight of 3,440 grams when wet or 2,756 grams when it had been dried. A total of £9,839 in cash was also seized.

“At Lawrence’s home address, cash totalling £5,398 was seized, along with a cash counting machine and a crypto currency wallet which contained many thousands of pounds.

“In the self-storage unit in Monmouth, police found three tubs containing a total of 1,357 grams of cocaine adulterated with boric acid and benzocaine. Two of those tubs were subject to forensic examination and DNA obtained with Lawrence’s profile on both, along with that of Tyrrell and Johnson.

“Benzocaine weighing 5,210g and 4,473g of boric acid were also recovered along with 281 ecstasy tablets and two kilos of cannabis.

“A number of pairs of digital scales were located together with silica gel bags, a roll of food bags and a tub containing methyl ethyl ketone.

“In the immediate aftermath of their arrest, Grindle made several calls to both Lawrence and Tyrrell which went to voicemail. Two days later, on July 8, Grindle contacted Ballinger for the first time.

"August 4, 2021 is the first recorded contact between Ballinger and Anslow and arrangements were being made for him to formally take on Lawrence’s role and the continuation of the conspiracy. Ballinger is then observed travelling to meet the West Midlands group.

"On August 31, Chand calls Ballinger and the pair agreed to meet up at the Greyhound pub in Lydney. The following day Ballinger sends out a bulk message to 220 contacts.

"On September 9, 2021 Anslow was seen to go to a summerhouse in his garden and remove four bin liners and taking a black bucket from each of the liners. Cook is seen taking the buckets and putting them in his car before travelling to Gloucestershire.

"On September 15, warrants were executed simultaneously at the addresses of Anslow, Cook, Chand and Grindle."

The court was told that Anslow was arrested at his home in Dudley.

When the property was searched, officers located a large quantity of cash, mostly contained within two shoe boxes, totalling £49,235.

Officers also found 1,361 grams of cannabis flowering heads and 3,117 grams of the adulterant boric acid. Further boric acid was found in a blender along with scales contaminated with cocaine. A large pneumatic press was located on the driveway of the property.

In addition, a bag containing 99.8 grams of cocaine was recovered from a car that Anslow had been using.

When Chand was arrested, police found a bag containing 3.36g cocaine, digital scales with traces of cocaine and cannabis along with seven squares of LSD and 5.63g of dimenthyltryptamine (DMT). He was also in possession of £470 cash.

Cook was arrested as he returned to his address in Darlaston. His mobile phone was seized but no search of his property was made.

Grindle was arrested at his address in Coleford, Gloucestershire.

A mobile phone was located behind a chest of drawers which had been used by him until the day that Tyrell and Lawrence were arrested.

Johnson had been linked to the conspiracy by virtue of the incident at St Briavels in April 2021 and the DNA on the on the tub of cocaine discovered at the self-storage unit.

On December 4, 2021 he was stopped in Cinderford driving his vehicle, a white Vauxhall Astra, and arrested for his part in the conspiracy.

Ballinger was arrested on December 10, at his address in Coleford.

Officers found 15 to 20 wraps of half gram wraps of cocaine and over £44,000 in cash.

He was in possession of two ledgers containing lists reflecting drug supply dating back to October 2020.

One page of the ledger reflects values of drugs at nearly £144,000, other pages detail many £1,000’s in drugs and cash.

Lawrence and Tyrrell pleaded guilty to the conspiracy to supply cocaine between February 1, 2020 and July 7, 2021 and Anslow, Cook, Chand, Johnson and Grindle admitted the conspiracy between February 1, 2020 and September15, 2021.

In addition Lawrence and Tyrell pleaded guilty to, conspiracy to supply amphetamine between the same dates.

Johnson also admitted the possession with intent to supply cannabis and dangerous driving for offences which occurred when he was stopped on April 23, 2021.

Ballinger, who at the time of his arrest, was on bail and awaiting sentence for two counts of offering to supply cocaine.

On his arrest he was found to be in possession of cocaine and a substantial amount of cash.

He was charged with possession with intent to supply cocaine and possession of criminal property. He was also charged with the conspiracy from July to September 2021.

In mitigation, barrister Justin Jarmola, for Anslow, said: “He has made some poor choices over the 11 months he was involved and has shown he is remorseful. He wasn’t in a position of trust or responsibility and whilst being held in custody he hasn’t buried his head in the sand and has come to court with numerous certificates he has obtained."

Lawyer Matthew Harbinson, for Cook, said: “Whilst being remanded in prison he has proved he is a responsible person and can be trusted. He has risen to a high level and has shown remorse for his offending. He began using recreational drugs in 2015 and over the coming years he got more involved and had little choice but to join the conspiracy. You can’t have a puppet master without a puppeteer. He was told to work and he did."

Akaal Sidhu, for Chand, said he wasn’t aware of the scale of the conspiracy as he had a limited role in the whole operation.

Carl Templar-Vasey, for Lawrence, said he built up a drug debt and he was forced into drug dealing, while Earl Pinnock, for Grindle, said he never saw or handled any drugs.

"His involvement in the conspiracy was using his van with Lawrence and the others and when this was explained to him, the penny dropped and pleaded guilty," he said.

Sarah Jenkins, for Tyrell, said: “He is remorseful about his offending. He is now free of drugs after obtaining specialised counselling. He pleaded guilty two years ago and he is still waiting to be sentenced."

Catherine Spedding, for Johnson, said he had a long-standing drug addiction to cocaine and the court was told Ballinger's involvement in the main conspiracy was only for a short period.

Judge Lawrie concluded: “The primary roles were headed by Anslow in the West Midlands and Lawrence in Gloucestershire and had the others working for them. They were the puppeteers and were directing the illicit operation. They were also supplying different types of drugs.”

The judge sentenced Lawrence and Anslow to a prison term of nine years each and told them that they had leading roles in their relevant areas of the country.

The judge reminded Cook that he was the transport link man and sentenced him to six years and told Grindle that he was a trusted errand boy and sentenced him and Chand to six years in prison each.

The judge pointed out that Johnson tried to drive off when he was arrested and he was sentenced to five years and seven months in prison.

Tyrrell was sentenced to the same term and was told that all the monies found in his possession would be confiscated.

The judge told Ballinger that he became involved at the end of the conspiracy and had taken over from Lawrence after he had been arrested.

He was sentenced to 42 months, but was being released having served this term whilst on custody. The judge ordered the deprivation of £45,000 found in his possession.

The judge ordered the forfeiture and destruction of all the drugs seized and paraphernalia.