UPDATE:

Two people have now been charged with conspiracy to supply Class A drugs in connection with this investigation. They have been remanded in custody to appear in court on February 5th, 2013.

Officers from Zephyr working together with Bristol’s Operation Beacon team have made four arrests following warrants executed in the city yesterday (Wednesday 9th January 2012).

A warrant was executed under the Misuse of Drugs Act in Sevier Street, Easton where a significant quantity of white powder and cutting agents were seized. The substances are currently being forensically examined.

Two people were found inside the property – one man aged 32 and a woman aged 34. They were both arrested and remain in police custody at this time.

Another woman aged 22 and a 47-year-old man were arrested following the execution of a further warrant later in the day. These people also remain in custody awaiting interview.

Detective Inspector Jim Taylor from Zephyr said: “We continue to work closely with neighbourhood teams across the South West to target serious offenders who are making a living through crime. Drugs and associated criminality have a devastating impact on our communities and we will continue to target those responsible for their supply.

“These arrests should send out a strong message that illegal drugs are not welcome in the South West and we will take robust action to bring offenders to justice. I would like to thank those members of the public who continue to support our work by providing us with vital information about criminality in their neighbourhoods.”

Zephyr is the South West’s regional serious and organised crime fighting team. The unit is made up of specialist officers from five police forces – Avon and Somerset, Devon and Cornwall, Dorset, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire.

Operation Beacon is a Bristol based police team targeting crime which directly affects local communities. They work closely with other agencies including the council, the Bristol Drugs Project and other rehabilitation organisations.

Paula Barnes, 45, of Aldbourne Road, Baydon, has been sentenced at Swindon Crown Court to eight years imprisonment for causing death by dangerous driving and a further 5 months for bail offences. These sentences will run consecutively. She has also been disqualified from driving for 10 years.

Inspector Steve Cox, Head of Roads Policing at Wiltshire Police said: “We are pleased with this sentence as it reflects both the seriousness of these crimes and the anguish that Paula Barnes has put her victim’s family through.

“This case has been a long and complex one after Barnes tried to evade justice by fleeing to Holland where she hoped to remain undetected.

“The fact she was caught, arrested, extradited and has now been sentenced is testament to the hard work and dedication of the Wiltshire Police Serious Collision Investigation Team.

“Barnes was arrested after being released from hospital on November 4th 2010 following a two vehicle collision in Foxhill, Baydon, on September 23 2010.

“During this collision, the driver of the other vehicle involved, Diane Wright, sadly died from her injuries at the scene.

“Barnes was then bailed to attend court on April 15th 2011 but failed to show. Nothing was seen or heard from her again.

“After an intensive search involving the Zephyr Regional Financial Investigation Team and the Serious Organised Crime Agency, Barnes was arrested in Holland on November 9 2012 and we were successful at an extradition hearing which led to her being brought back to the UK.

“Barnes has proved to be a callous and manipulative woman who thought she was above the law.

“We hope that Diane’s family can feel that justice has finally been served.”

Officers from Zephyr – the South West’s regional serious and organised crime team – have arrested eight people and seized a quantity of Class A and B drugs in Liverpool.

The specialist team, working closely with Merseyside Police, executed a series of warrants in the city under the Misuse of Drugs Act last night (Wednesday 6^th March 2013).

The raids were carried out in the Kensington, Anfield and Croxteth areas of the city as part of an investigation into the supply of drugs from the North West into Devon, Cornwall and Avon and Somerset.

Eight people (three women and five men) were arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to supply Class A drugs and remain in police custody in Liverpool at this time.

They are all from the local area and the men are aged 31, 48, 21, 28 and 28 and the women are aged 45, 20 and 28.

Officers have recovered one kilo of white powder believed to be cocaine, around five kilos of Class B drugs (amphetamines) and around eight kilos of mixing agent.

Small amounts of heroin, crack cocaine and drug related paraphernalia was also seized.

The team also seized two high value bicycles and two high value paintings during the operation.

Detective Inspector Paul Fell from Zephyr said: “We are committed to tackling the offenders responsible for bringing illegal drugs into our area. Drugs bring misery to lives and into our communities and we will take robust action against offenders who bring them into the South West.

“We work closely with our police colleagues around the country and this operation should send a strong message to the rest of the country that teams like Zephyr exist to disrupt dismantle and destroy organised crime across the UK.”

Officers from Zephyr were in Exeter on Tuesday 19^th March 2013 to execute a warrant under the Misuse of Drugs Act.

Inside the property they seized a quantity of Class B drugs and a substantial amount of cash.

Three people have been arrested on suspicion of importing Class B drugs in connection with this investigation and have been bailed pending further enquiries.

Officers from Zephyr executed a number of warrants in Leicester last week in connection with an on-going drugs investigation.

The team were working closely with colleagues from the East Midlands Serious and Organised Crime Unit (EMSOU) and Leicestershire Police.

One man was arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to supply Class A drugs.

So far during this investigation officers from Zephyr have seized a substantial quantity of Class A drugs and cash.

Anyone with any information about drug dealing in their area can get in touch with the team through this website, by calling their local police team on 101 or calling Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Two drug dealers have been sentenced at Hereford Crown Court for bringing high purity heroin to the streets of South Somerset.

Amanda Minter was today ordered to serve 38 months in prison and Sean Russell was handed a sentence of 33 months.

Minter had denied any involvement in dealing drugs but was found guilty of possession with intent to supply heroin on 27th February 2013. Russell had previously pleaded guilty to the same offence. Minter was also sentenced today for possession of Pava spray – a dangerous solution similar to CS gas – which is classified as a section 5 firearm.

On 8th October last year police from Zephyr – the South West’s regional serious and organised crime team – uncovered a plot to supply heroin in the area.

Officers later observed the offenders exiting a hotel within the Frankley Services complex on the M5 Motorway in the West Midlands. More than £15,000 worth of heroin was found in Amanda Minter’s handbag.

DCI Pete Warren from Avon and Somerset Police said: “These offenders caused a significant amount of harm to the local community and I am pleased that the sentences given at court today reflect the severity of their crimes.

“Drug dealing can have devastating and direct effect on law abiding residents as there is a direct link between Class A drugs and acquisitive crime. We will continue to work closely with Zephyr and other agencies to tackle those who make a living out of crime with no regard for the lives they destroy.

“Anyone with any information on drug dealing in their area can contact my team through 101 or call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.”

Detective Sergeant Nick Eckland from Zephyr said: “I have no doubt that the heroin purchased by these offenders in Birmingham would have been supplied to the communities of South Somerset, in particular those in Yeovil. The sentencing of these criminals shows how seriously these offences are taken and as a result Yeovil is a safer place.”

Stephen Davies, Senior Crown Advocate (CPS West Midlands) said: “The sentencing of both Amanda Minter and Sean Russell today sends out a clear message that anyone who travels from the west country with the intention of purchasing class A drugs to supply to the communities of Yeovil and the like – can expect to be prosecuted, convicted and sent to prison. West Midlands Crown Prosecution Service would like to thank officers from Zephyr for their assistance in facilitating this prosecution with us.”

Officers from Zephyr have today arrested a man in Leicester as part of an on-going Class A drugs investigation.

The 28-year-old from Hamilton, Leicester, was arrested on suspicion of possession with intent to supply Class A drugs and remains in police custody at this time.

Upon searching a property in the area a significant quantity of what is believed to be Class A drugs (heroin and cocaine) was recovered.

Detectives from Zephyr have been working closely with Leicestershire Constabulary and the East Midlands Special Operations Unit during this investigation.

Acting Detective Inspector Nick Eckland said: “The organised supply of Class A drugs has huge implications on communities across the country. The movement of drugs can result in an increase in anti-social behaviour, poverty and serious acquisitive crime and we are committed to working with our colleagues across the country to tackle those responsible.

“Zephyr exists to bring serious organised criminals to justice and we will continue to ensure the South West remains among the safest regions in the country.”

Four people have been arrested in Bristol as part of a Zephyr investigation.

Officers from Zephyr – the South West’s regional serious and organised crime team – executed a number of warrants in the city this morning.

They were working closely with Avon and Somerset’s neighbourhood policing team as part of an investigation into the supply of Class A drugs, codenamed Operation Amethyst.

The warrants were carried out in Redhill Drive, Fishponds, Grove Park Court, Brislington, Stadium Road, Henleaze, Banner Road, Montpellier, Grosvenor Road, St Pauls and Dalrymple Road, Bristol.

Two men, aged 45 and 31 and two women aged 26 and 18, were arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to supply and remain in custody at this time.

Cannabis, cash and a replica firearm were also seized.

Acting Neighbourhood Inspector Jonathan Ames said: “This day of action has seen my team working closely with Zephyr who tackle serious and organised criminality which can have a devastating effect on our local communities.

“I would like to thank the members of the public who continue to support our work by providing us with vital intelligence and working with us to keep our city safe.”

Zephyr and Gloucestershire Police have been working together today (Tuesday 14th May 2013) targeting people suspected of tax evasion and other organised crime.

The dawn raids in the city also saw the team working closely with HMRC to progress an investigation codenamed Operation Graphite.

Two men aged 39 and 65 and two women aged 32 and 64 have been arrested on suspicion of tax evasion and money laundering and two properties in Aldwyn Road and Tredworth Road, Gloucester were searched as part of the operation.

Officers have also recovered a substantial amount of cash and two machetes, a meat cleaver, a Samurai sword and a knuckle duster.

The suspects remain in custody at this time awaiting interview.

Inspector Steve Wood from Gloucestershire Police said: “Today is another fine example of police teams in the South West working together to tackle serious and organised crime. Organised criminals do not stop at county borders and we know their networks spread far and wide and have a direct impact on law abiding communities. Working together with Zephyr we will continue to target the offenders responsible who often hide their crime behind what appear to be legitimate businesses.

“I would ask that the people of Gloucester continue to support our work and continue to provide us with information. Organised crime can be difficult to spot but people should look out for those who appear to have a luxurious lifestyle but no legitimate means of income. You can speak to your local beat team if you see anything you are concerned about or if you are aware of people who are making money out of crime.”

You can report suspicious activity to Gloucestershire Police by calling 101 or directly through the Zephyr website.

Officers from Zephyr, the South West’s regional serious and organised crime team, have today executed ten warrants in Dorset as part of a large scale drugs investigation.

Nine people have been arrested on suspicion of drugs related offences and remain in police custody awaiting interview at this time.

Amounts of what is believed to be Class A and Class B drugs have been seized along with £1,000 in cash and cannabis plants.

The raids took place this morning (Wednesday 29th May 2013) at residential properties in Dorchester and Weymouth.

This investigation has been focused on drugs supply in to the West Country from the North West of England.

Zephyr have been working closely with Dorset Police throughout this investigation as well as the other police forces in the South West, HMRC and SOCA.

So far there has been 22 number of arrests nationally and seven people have already been charged with serious drugs offences.

Neighbourhood Inspector for Weymouth and Portland Les Fry said: “Today’s activity should re-enforce the message that we will not tolerate serious and organised crime in our neighbourhoods. Residents of Dorset and our holiday-makers alike deserve to enjoy this beautiful area without the fear of crime. We know that illegal drugs can have a devastating effect on communities but we will continue to work with Zephyr to ensure they cannot take hold.

“I would like to thank the members of the public who continue to supply us with information that is so vital to our work. You are our eyes and ears. Please report any suspicious activity to us and help us to keep you safe.”

Nine people have been arrested in South London, Yeovil and Exeter by Zephyr, the South West’s serious and organised crime team, accompanied by officers from the Metropolitan Police.

Eight men and one woman were arrested on July 4 when police carried out a dawn raid on fourteen properties across the country. All were arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to supply class A drugs, money laundering and possession of drugs.

Officers seized class A and B drugs, cash and vehicles as well as £2,000 in cash.

The series of warrants were carried out as part of an on-going Zephyr investigation into the supply of illegal drugs coming into the South West.

Detective Sergeant John Bancroft from Zephyr said: “These arrests should show how committed we are to tackling gangs and the supply of drugs on our streets. We work closely with our police colleagues across the country to ensure we are sharing information and bringing offenders to justice wherever they may be.

“We know that drugs cause serious harm not just to those who take them but also to our communities. We are urging anyone with any information about drug dealing in their area to contact their police on 101 in a non-emergency or 999 in an emergency or to call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.”

DI Mick Reay, Trident Gang Crime Command, Metropolitan Police Service, said: “This operation demonstrates how Trident will work together with our police colleagues from across the UK in order to arrest criminals who cause harm to communities through drug-dealing and gang-related criminal activity.

“We will always act upon information given to us about those involved in gang-related criminal activity and will hold to account those who choose to carry weapons, who are involved in gang violence and who gain financially from crime.”

Zephyr is a five force collaboration made up of officers from Avon and Somerset, Gloucestershire, Devon and Cornwall, Dorset and Wiltshire. Zephyr also has a financial investigation unit dedicated to clawing back the money offenders make through crime.

Six more drug dealers have been jailed as a result of an investigation led by Zephyr.

Zephyr worked closely with the UK Border Agency, Bristol’s operation Beacon team led by Detective Inspector Gary Haskins as well the Crown Prosecution Service’s Complex Case Unit’s Ann Reddrop and local neighbourhood policing teams to secure the convictions.

The six face a total of more than 65 years behind bars.

On July 8 at Bristol Crown Court, Curtis Brooks from Redland was sentenced to 14 years, Tobias Weeks of Oxford was sentenced to 10 years and Danny Taylor from South London was given a seven year six month sentence.

All were found guilty of conspiracy to supply Class A drugs following a seven and a half week trial led by prosecution counsel Mr Stephen Mooney and Mr Richard Posner.

Mark Gold from Swansea, Mihovil Raos, a Croatian national living in Fulham and Rabi Edukali a Libyan national living in Clifton, pleaded guilty prior to the trial and were sentenced to seven years four months, six years eight months and 20 years respectively.

This followed a linked trial where Wayne Murray was sentenced to 10 years, Deraine Felix received a four year sentence, Julian Wright four years and Kristopher James was sentenced to nine years (six years for conspiracy and three years for possession with intent, to run consecutively).

Reporting restrictions were lifted following an order made by His Honour Judge Picton.

The investigation, codenamed Operation Arrow, was centred on Bristol in 2011 and concluded with arrests in January 2012.

On May 27 2011 a Renault Clio driven by Wayne Murray was stopped on the M32 coming into Bristol from London and firearms officers found half a kilo of cocaine in his car. This was found to be 98 per cent pure, some of the highest purity ever seized. This seizure was dealt with by the force’s Serious Crime Group led by DC Martin Parsons.

In July a Range Rover driving towards London from Bristol was stopped by Wiltshire officers on the M4, where Danny Taylor was arrested following the discovery of more than £50,000 wrapped in a plastic bag in the front passenger foot well.

A further consignment of cocaine with a value of more than £620,000 was seized in November 2011 in a camper van driven by Marc Gold and Mihovil Raos, when Zephyr officers stopped it in the Fishponds area of Bristol. In December 2011 officers seized another half kilo of cocaine at a property in St Michael’s Hill when Rabie Edukali was arrested in possession of cocaine nearby.

In January 2012 firearms officers raided a property in Southmead, where Curtis Brooks was arrested in possession of a large amount of cash. Mobile phones and cocaine were also recovered from the flat.

Inspector Oliver Cosgrove from Trinity Road Police Station said: “This has been an extremely complex and difficult investigation but one we know will send a strong message to organised crime groups across the country.

“We are committed to pursuing those at the top of drug dealing networks, which cause the most harm to our communities. Bristol is a safer place to be now that these men are behind bars.”

Detectives Phil Ogley, Martin Parsons, Jason Chidgey along with telecoms expert Clare Rogers were amongst those individuals commended by HHJ Picton for their work in the investigation.

Acting Detective Inspector Jonathan Bancroft praised the support given by the communities in Bristol: “The destruction of this organised crime group is just the start. We will now strip these individuals of every penny we have linked to their profiting from peddling misery and preying on the vulnerable in Bristol. That money will then go to hopefully try to make good some of the harm they have caused. This was a team result but without the eyes and ears of people in Bristol, we would never have succeeded.”

Anyone with any information about drug dealing in their area is asked to contact the police on 101 or call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Eleven people have today been sentenced as part of a Zephyr investigation into the supply of drugs from Liverpool into the West Country.

All of the defendants involved in the investigation, codenamed Operation Dusk, pleaded guilty to serious drugs offences.

Zephyr is the south west specialist unit to tackle serious and organised crime. It is made up of officers from five police forces – Avon and Somerset, Gloucestershire, Wiltshire, Devon and Cornwall and Dorset.

During this investigation officers seized heroin worth nearly £12,000, amphetamines worth more than £300,000, mephedrone (M-Cat) worth around £45,000 and quantities of crack cocaine. Several kilos of cutting agents were also recovered. We also believe fraud in excess of £50,000 was committed across the country.

Mark Taylor, who also goes by the name of Alan Lawless, 31, of Liverpool, was charged with conspiracy to supply Class A and B drugs and conspiracy to commit fraud. He has been sentenced to ten years and six months in prison.

Paul Murphy, who is also known as Paul Fowler, 48, also from Liverpool, was charged with the same offences and has been sentenced to three years in prison.

Ashley Paffett, 30, also from Plymouth, was charged with conspiracy to supply Class A and B drugs and conspiracy to commit fraud. He has been sentenced to two years and 10 months in prison.

John Bignell, age 42, from Liverpool, was charged with conspiracy to supply Class A and B drugs. He has been sentenced to three years in prison.

Tina Bignell, 47, also from Liverpool, was charged with conspiracy to supply Class A and B drugs. She has been given a three year sentence.

Dean Birkenshaw, 46, from Plymouth, was charged with conspiracy to supply Class B drugs. He was sentenced to 16 months in prison which is suspended for two years.

Adrian Watts, 40, from Weston-super-Mare, was charged with conspiracy to supply Class B drugs and was sentenced to 15 months in prison.

Robert Henry, 29, from Liverpool, was also charged with conspiracy to commit fraud and sentenced to 16 months in prison.

Tracy Jenkins, age 39, from Plymouth, was charged with two counts of possession with intent to supply. She was given a suspended sentence earlier this year.

Jeffrey McGuiness, age 48, and from Liverpool, was charged with conspiracy to supply Class B. He has been sentenced to 16 months in prison which is suspended for two years.

Natalie Westhead, age 35, was charged with money laundering and has already been handed a suspended sentence in connection with the same investigation.

The investigation has seen Zephyr working closely with neighbourhood policing teams across the country after information from members of the public was passed onto the team.

Detective Inspector Paul Fell said: “This result should give a warning to drug dealers across the country that if they come to the south west to commit offences, we will be waiting.

“This operation has resulted in a significant amount of drugs being taken off the street, along with thirteen people brought to justice, making the south west a safer place. Drugs cause misery to families and communities and we are committed to tackling those that distribute them.

“We will now seek to recover the money these people made from dealing drugs to ensure they have in no way benefited from their crime.

Anyone concerned about drug dealing in their neighbourhood should report it to their local beat team by calling 101. Rest assured your information will reach Zephyr if it is suspected to be serious and organised crime. Alternatively you can contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Radcliffe Miller, 42, Orville Salmon, 31, and Jermaine Riettie, 31, have been charged following a Zephyr day of action in Bristol on Tuesday (12th November 2013).

All three men have appeared at court charged with fraudulently evading the prohibition of importation of the Class A drugs cocaine, MDMA and heroin.

They have also been charged with conspiring to import cannabis, amphetamine and mephedrone – which are Class B drugs.

In addition and between the same dates they have been charged with conspiracy to supply cocaine as well as Class B drugs.

The three have been remanded in custody until their next court appearance on December 5th.

As part of the operation the Coach House pub on Stapleton Road has had its licence suspended by the Licensing Committee. The pub is unable to trade while this investigation continues.

A woman was also arrested on suspicion of money laundering as part of the same investigation and has been bailed pending further enquiries.

Zephyr is the south west’s regional serious and organised crime team and is made up of specialist officers from the five police forces in the area.

Call the charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or via www.crimestoppers-uk.org We never ask for your name or trace your call. You can also contact us in confidence via our website

A man and two women from Bristol have been sentenced after admitting money laundering offences uncovered by an investigation carried out by Zephyr – the south west’s serious and organised crime team.

Husband and wife James Joseph Gilheaney, 31 and Katrina Gilheaney, 30, along with Mary O’Neill, 38, were all sentenced at Bristol Crown Court on Friday (22/11), after admitting a charge of converting criminal property – an offence under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002.

James Gilheaney, of Park Avenue, Winterbourne, was sentenced to two-and-a-half years’ imprisonment and given a five-year Serious Crime Prevention Order (SCPO) restricting him to no more than £500 cash and one bank account.

Katrina Gilheaney, also of Park Avenue, and Mary O’Neill, of Northwood Park, Winterbourne, were both sentenced to 14-months’ imprisonment suspended for two years.

The sentencing followed a complex investigation into money laundering involving multiple accounts, which occurred between 2005 and 2012. The total amount of cash deposits was in excess of £700,000.

At the sentencing hearing, Judge Horton said the amount of money laundered was “substantial” and part of a “professional crime”.

DS Roger Halliday, of the Zephyr team, said: “This has been a long and complex investigation which uncovered large amounts of money being deposited into and transferred between multiple accounts.

“It is clear the amount of cash was well above and beyond any legitimate income from benefits and can only have been generated through criminal activity.

“There is no doubt the overwhelming evidence gathered as part of this detailed and thorough investigation helped secure these convictions.”

A man convicted of fraudulent trading has been ordered to pay back the money he made from crime.

Anthony Kar King Ho, 50, was convicted of fraudulent trading in 2012 in relation to the management of money service bureau (MSB) World Travel Service Ltd (WTS).

It is believed he made more than £5 million through this business.

Today a confiscation order was made at Bristol Crown Court for £1,892, 979. Of this £1.228 million was identified as hidden assets.

Anthony Kar King Ho who lives in London will now have to re-pay this money or he will be sent to prison for a further five years.

Part of this money will be paid back through the sale of his high value car – a Bentley Continental Flying Spur with a private plate – estimated to be worth more than £50,000.

At the time of his arrest Mr Kar King Ho was also planning to buy a property worth around £4 million.

At court Judge Martin Picton said: “The defendant is not to be regarded as a fit and proper person to conduct an MSB and the background to this case concerns the efforts he went to in order to continue to trade as an MSB when he knew full well he should not.”

Mr Kar King Ho was investigated by Zephyr, the south west’s serious and organised crime team which has a unit dedicated to financial investigation.

Detective Inspector Tony Hubbard from Zephyr said: “This case goes to show that no matter how hard offenders try to evade us, we will make the best use of our financial investigation techniques to make them pay for their crime.

“Anthony Kar King Ho is a devious man who traded fraudulently for his own financial gain. Today’s decision will ensure he will not benefit and will be forced to give up the luxury lifestyle he has accrued.

“This should send a strong message to career criminals that Zephyr will continue to work with police forces and other agencies to bring offenders to justice across the South West and beyond.”

Zephyr is made up of officers from five police forces – Avon and Somerset, Gloucestershire, Wiltshire, Devon and Cornwall and Dorset.

The Zephyr detectives work closely with police forces and other agencies to tackle professional criminals and send the message that they are not welcome in our region.

Detective Sergeant Andy Dangerfield said: “Today’s hearing is the culmination of a detailed and thorough joint investigation by Gloucestershire Constabulary and Zephyr.

“It shows that we are determined to bring those who cause harm to the people of Gloucestershire to justice, to ensure that they will not benefit from their crimes and are unable to hide ill-gotten gains. It should also act as a warning to those involved in criminality that we will pursue them beyond our borders.”

To report serious and organised crime in your neighbourhood call your local police force on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

A Bristol drug dealer is beginning a long stretch in prison today after an investigation by Zephyr, the South West’s serious and organised crime team.

Rico Walker, 32, and from Easton, was today jailed for 16 years for conspiracy to supply heroin in the city after he was found hiding in a garden covered in cutting agent from his drugs factory.

Charmaine McLeod, 35, and Saima Clarke, 22, have also been sentenced to five years, eight months and five years respectively today as part of the same investigation. Walker and Clarke stood trial while McLeod pleaded guilty at an earlier stage.

Rico Walker was arrested in January this year after a warrant was carried out in Sevier Street Bristol.

At this property officers seized 37kgs of caffeine and paracetamol – commonly used by drug dealers to cut with heroin. They also seized heroin in the kitchen.

The quantity of cutting agents found could have produced heroin with a street value of £3.7million.

A box for a hydraulic press – commonly used to compress blocks of Class A drugs – was found at Saima Clarke’s address along with drug cutting paraphernalia and ten improvised explosive devices. Officers believe these were being used to protect the drugs.

Rico Walker led a ‘cash rich’ lifestyle and is believed to have spent around £300,000 setting up a business which it is believed was used to hide his crime.

Officers seized thousands of pounds worth of designer clothing including Christian Louboutin, Hugo Boss and Dolce and Gabbana men’s and women’s shoes, Gucci wellies and hundreds of collectable and high value baseball caps.

Rico Walker had also been supplying heroin to Liam Draper, a Swansea based drug dealer who has been sentenced to five and a half years in prison.

The day after Walker’s arrest South Wales Police carried out a warrant resulting in the seizure of 11 packages containing 147g of 11% heroin, 48 packages containing a total of 70.9g of 11% heroin and scales contaminated with heroin.

They also recovered cash and packaging contaminated with heroin.

Detective Inspector Jim Taylor from Zephyr said: “Rico Walker is a dangerous man and I have no doubt his drug dealing would have had a devastating impact on Bristol had we not carried out this investigation.

“He is now behind bars where he belongs but our work does not stop here. We will now seek to recover the money and assets he accrued from drug dealing.

“His sentence should send a strong message to those seeking to deal Class A drugs in the south west. We will pursue you and bring you to justice for your actions.”

We rely on members of the public to tell us if they think crime is going on in their neighbourhoods. If you believe you have information which could help the police you should call 101 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Five people have been sentenced following a Zephyr investigation into the supply of Class A drugs in Bristol.

Justin Barry Byles, 39, from Hampshire, has been sentenced to two and a half years and Jamie Michael Rogers, 41, from Brislington has been sentenced to four years.

David Vaughan Jones, 28, from Coalpit Heath has been sentenced to four years and two months and Nicholas Terrance Southcott (not pictured), 29, from Bristol has been sentenced to two year residency, a curfew of six months and 240 hours of unpaid work.

Sean David Graham Jefferies, 27, From Fishponds, has been sentenced to two years residency and a curfew of six months.

All were charged with conspiracy to supply cocaine and a significant quantity was recovered during the operation which saw Zephyr working closely with Hampshire Police.

The investigation, codenamed Operation Amber, began in December 2011 and since then officers have put together a detailed evidence package to bring these offenders to justice.

Detective Inspector Jim Taylor said: “Class A drugs ruin lives and have a direct impact on other crime such as burglary, robbery and anti-social behaviour.

“We will continue to work with neighbourhood policing teams to gather the information we need to target suppliers who are operating in the south west.

“I would like to thank the members of the public that continue to support us. You are a vital part of our work.”

Anyone with any information about drug dealing in their area is asked to contact their local policing team on 101 or call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Officers from the regional organised crime unit Zephyr have seized drugs and a large quantity of cash and three vehicles after raiding a property in Exmouth.

Supported by officers from Devon and Cornwall Police support group and neighbourhood officers, they executed a search warrant under the Misuse of Drugs Act at a property in Bankside yesterday (Tuesday January 14) at about 12.15pm.

Officers arrested a 49-year-old man on suspicion of the possession of drugs with intention to supply and also money-laundering.

Officers seized a large quantity of what is believed to be heroin with a street value of more than £50,000, which will now be forensically examined. In addition a large quantity of cash was seized by officers.

A further warrant was executed at a property in Countess Weir in Exeter and a 39-year-old man arrested for money-laundering.

During the two operations officers also seized three vehicles.

Insp Antonia Weeks from Exmouth, said: “This was a well-planned and executed operation which has resulted in the arrest of man believed to have been involved in the supply of drugs in the area. This operation should send out a strong message to those involved in illegal drugs activity that we will pursue them and aim to put them before the courts. It should also provide reassurance for the public that we are helping to remove the menace of drugs from their streets.”

Later in the day officers executed a search warrant at a property in Codrington Street in Exeter.

A 31-year-old man and a 27-year-old woman were arrested on suspicion of drug offences.