A significant drug gang who bought £5.6million price of cocaine that was packed into massive bricks and stamped with the phrase ‘Prada’ have been jailed for greater than 50 years.
Vikram Virdee, 34, Dean Riley, 55, and Richard Yarker, 49, have been the important thing gamers in a bunch that bought 56kg of sophistication A medication throughout the UK.
Their confederate Karl McQuillan, 29, delivered the medication and picked up money from across the UK together with Worcester, Wales, Gloucestershire and Nottingham.
West Midlands Regional Organised Crime Unit (ROCUWM) uncovered the multi-million pound operation following a UK-wide investigation into EncroChat, led by the Nationwide Crime Company.
The gang operated partially through the encrypted cell phone community, which was shut down in June 2020.
Ringleader Virdee, Riley, Yarker and McQuillan have been sentenced at Birmingham Crown Court docket on Monday after beforehand pleading responsible to worrying within the provide of sophistication A. They’ve been jailed for a mixed whole of greater than 50 years.
A fifth man was additionally sentenced in August 2020 and jailed for 4 years and eight months.

A significant drug gang who bought £5.6million price of cocaine that was packed into massive bricks and stamped with the phrase ‘Prada’ have been jailed for greater than 50 years

West Midlands Regional Organised Crime Unit (ROCUWM) uncovered the multi-million pound operation following a UK-wide investigation into EncroChat, led by the Nationwide Crime Company


Vikram Virdee, 34, (pictured proper) Dean Riley and Richard Yarker have been the important thing gamers in a bunch that bought 56kg of sophistication A medication throughout the UK. Their confederate Karl McQuillan (left), 29, delivered the medication and picked up money from across the UK together with Worcester, Wales, Gloucestershire and Nottingham

Dean Riley, 55, (left) and Richard Yarker, 49, (proper) have each been jailed for worrying within the provide of cocaine

The gang operated partially through the encrypted cell phone community, which was shut down in June 2020

Over six kilograms of cocaine, 4 automobiles – some with secret compartments – and over 40 Hours of CCTV have been seized through the police investigation
Officers carried out raids on properties related to the gang and seized 6kg of cocaine and 4 automobiles containing secret compartments.
The gang have been nailed by over 40 Hours of CCTV and pictures they despatched to one another which featured bundles of money and blocks of cocaine embossed with the model title ‘Prada’.
They beforehand admitted worrying within the provide of a Class A drug between February and October 2020.
Virdee, of Newport Pagnell, Buckinghamshire, who co-ordinated the shopping for and supplying of medication, was jailed for 17 years.
Riley, of Swadlincote, Derbyshire, who was the gang’s accountant dealing with money and distribution, was jailed for 9 years and 10 months.
When officers arrested him in the summertime of 2020, he had greater than £17,000 in money on him and a pair of.2kg of cocaine stashed at his house.
Yarker, of Corley Ash, Warwickshire, who was on licence on the time of the offences following a conviction for supplying cocaine in 2012, was jailed for 15 years.
The courtroom heard police discovered 3kg of cocaine and £25,000 in money at his house.
Riley and Yarker additionally each pleaded responsible possession with intent to produce class A and the acquisition, use and possession of felony property.

The gang have been nailed by over 40 Hours of CCTV and pictures they despatched to one another which featured bundles of money and blocks of cocaine embossed with the model title ‘Prada’

Ringleader Virdee, Riley, Yarker and McQuillan have been sentenced at Birmingham Crown Court docket on Monday after beforehand pleading responsible to worrying within the provide of sophistication A. They’ve been jailed for a mixed whole of greater than 50 years. A fifth man was additionally sentenced in August 2020 and jailed for 4 years and eight months

The big bricks of cocaine had the phrase ‘Prada’ stamped on every one (pictured)
Drug runner McQuillan, of Whoberley in Coventry, was jailed for eight years three months.
A fifth member of the gang, who was recruited by McQuillan to construct secret compartments inside a Vauxhall Insignia, was jailed for 4 years and eight months in 2020.
He was arrested in South Wales in Might 2020 for transporting 1kg of cocaine.
Following the sentencing, Detective Chief Inspector Leanne Lowe, mentioned: ‘This was a posh investigation during which we labored by plenty of proof; conversations, photographs and CCTV footage in addition to cell phone information to piece collectively what these males have been doing and the way they have been related to at least one one other.
‘Not solely have we disrupted a series of provide, we’ve got additionally eliminated an enormous amount of medication.’