Latest news with #druggang
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Daily Mail
Moment police chase county lines drugs gang across 17th century estate before officers ram car in field
Police hunted a county lines drugs gang in the sunset across a 17th century estate before ramming their car in a field. Officers were hot on the trails of Connor Darwent, 27, wanted on suspicion of supplying Class A drugs when they spotted him driving on the A46 towards Lincoln. Intense footage shows a pair of two young men relentlessly pursued across a five-mile journey in their powerful BMW 1 Series. They finally spiral off a farm track and come to halt in the middle of a field which allows officers to ram the car head-on and jump out before smashing in the BMW's windows. The last ditch attempt to evade police came despite Darwent's tyres being shredded by a police stinger as he sped through the grounds of the 17th century Doddington Hall. Police point their Taser guns at the men inside in the car and shout 'stay there' and nobody move' before dragging them out roughly onto the grass. Darwent was a courier making regular journeys between Coventry and Skegness to reload the lucrative 'Abs line'. Police say the drug line was worth up to £252,000 to the gang who supplied around 5.8kg of cocaine to dealers and users. He was caught during the chase which took place on May 24, 2022, as he hurtled down country roads. Darwent, of Hinckley, Leicstershire, admitted conspiracy to supply class A drugs and dangerous driving and was jailed for two-and-a-half years on Thursday. Three other members of the gang were also sentenced after admitting conspiracy to supply class A drugs. Kirsty Reilly, 32, of Coventry, who drove the drugs from Coventry to Skegness, was jailed for three years. Sarah Makey, 47, of Skegness, received a 21-month sentence, suspended for 18 months, and ordered to do 80 hours of unpaid work. Her husband Nathan, 48, of Sheffield, dealt drugs and sent out marketing messages on his phone on behalf of the holder of the Abs line, Alistair Renwick. Renwick was jailed for nine years in April. Makey will be sentenced in August. Liam Tomkins, 25, of Hinkley, Leicstershire, was jailed for three-and-a-half years in his absence after failing to appear at court. The convictions mark the conclusion of a major operation to smash eight separate drugs lines which flooded Lincolnshire's coastal towns with crack cocaine and heroin. Lincolnshire Police launched the programme against organised crime along the county's east coast following an increase in gang violence in September 2022. Since then, more than 70 people have been arrested resulting in prison sentences totalling more than 120 years. Detective Inspector Will Tharby, of the Serious and Organised Crime Unit, said: 'Drug dealing reaches far beyond those directly involved in the exchange of money for drugs. 'Its ripple effects fuel antisocial behaviour, robbery, burglary, and violence-not just among those entrenched in the drug trade, but across entire communities. 'Families, neighbours, and local businesses all feel the weight of drug-related crime, facing its disruptive and often devastating consequences. 'We've dismantled a thoroughly harmful operation, taken drugs off the streets, and sent a clear message - criminal networks will not thrive in Lincolnshire's communities.'
Daily Mail
23-05-2025
- Daily Mail
Hitman's chilling ruse to slip into ER undetected and 'finish off' patient who survived earlier shooting in Tijuana
An assassin disguised himself as a nurse to sneak inside a hospital and execute a woman recovering from a shooting a day earlier. Wendy Martínez, 39, was in the emergency wing at the Tijuana General Hospital in Mexico near the US border after being shot three times on Tuesday. Martínez told investigators that she was first attacked after she had told a drug dealing crew that she was not interested in working for them. She even moved to a new neighborhood to avoid problems with the gang. After the first murder attempt, the gang dispatched a gunman to the hospital on Wednesday around 2 pm local time, Telediario reported. But the hitman fled after dropping his gun at the entrance. Hours later, the suspect walked into the medical facility wearing hospital scrubs and wasn't stopped by security. Surveillance video showed the shooter standing outside the room where Martínez was being treated. The assassin appeared to make a call on a cellphone before stepping toward the room and opening fire. He was then seen running down the hallway as a staffer sought refuge. Online news outlet Zeta reported that Martínez had protection from police and the National Guard. Authorities rushed to the scene and sealed the perimeter but were unable to find the shooter. The Baja California state prosecutor's office is investigating the incident, with doctors, nurses and staffers being interviewed. A similar incident occurred on September 28, 2023 when assassins and Sinaloa Cartel members had a shootout inside a hospital in Culiacán, Sinaloa that three gunmen and a doctor dead. The hired killers were seeking to complete the job they were unable to finish after wounding two cartel members the day before in the city of Badiraguato. They spotted a high-ranking Sinaloa Cartel leader attempting to pay a bill at a front desk and tried to kill him when three cartel gunmen responded with fire. Dr. Otniel Montoya was caught in the crossfire and died on the scene. One of the three gunmen was killed after he attempted to shoot a cop as he was being carried away in a stretcher.
Telegraph
19-05-2025
- Telegraph
London scientist dismembered in Colombia was lured into trap through Grindr
A scientist found dismembered in Colombia was the victim of a honeytrap through the gay dating app Grindr, police believe. The mutilated remains of Alessandro Coatti, a 38-year-old Italian who worked in London, were discovered scattered across the coastal city of Santa Marta on April 6, two days after he was reported missing. Investigators had originally suspected the molecular biologist may have been killed in a case of mistaken identity between warring drug clans. Colombian police, however, now believe that Coatti, a tourist with no links to organised crime, was the victim of a gang targeting foreigners looking for dates online. The Italian was reportedly lured to an abandoned house in the San José del Pando neighbourhood after messaging someone over Grindr, a popular dating app designed for LGBT people. The gang's plan had been to incapacitate Coatti using a drug colloquially known as 'Devil's Breath' (scopolamine) and then rob him, according to sources first reported in El Tiempo, a Colombian newspaper. Scopolamine is a drug that can be used to treat motion sickness but in larger doses, it can disorient and incapacitate users, and even paralyse victims. Police carry out raids What happened remains unclear but post-mortem examinations concluded that Coatti was killed by blunt-force trauma. The gang is said to have dismembered his body after his death to trick investigators into believing it was a gangland-style hit as a warning message to rivals. At least four people, including a woman, were allegedly involved in the scheme and had been identified by authorities, El Tiempo reported. A group of children stumbled across a suitcase on the side of the road leading to the Sierra Nevada football stadium containing Coatti's severed head and arms. His mutilated torso was discovered by police in a bag after locals in the Minuto de Dios neighbourhood reported a rotting smell coming from a stretch of the Manzanares river. Other remains of Coatti are still missing. Police have carried out a string of raids in Santa Marta and have seized three mobile phones in connection with the case. The city authorities have offered a £10,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of his killers. 'I can't breathe, I miss you' Coatti, known as Ale to friends, had worked for the Royal Society of Biology (RSB) for eight years as a senior policy officer. The Italian, originally from Ferrara in northern Emilia-Romagna, had emigrated to London and left the RSB at the end of last year to volunteer in Ecuador and travel through South America. He arrived in Santa Marta on April 3 and disappeared the following day. Col Jaime Ríos Puerto, the commander of the Santa Marta police, confirmed Coatti had no criminal record and was not the subject of any threats. Sandra Lovato, Coatti's mother, shared that the last message she ever received from her son was on Mother's Day, five days before he went missing. 'Hi Mum, I want to come back. I love you, so much,' it read. Ms Lovato has shared several tributes to her son on Facebook, including highlighting his work in teaching children English in Ecuador. 'I miss you so much, I can't breathe. I miss you, I miss you so much,' she wrote in another post.
The Independent
17-05-2025
- The Independent
Kerri Pegg: Moment prison governor in relationship with ‘Jesse Pinkman' drug gang boss arrested
Police bodycam footage shows the moment a prison governor who formed a relationship with a Liverpool drug gang boss was arrested at home. Kerri Pegg, 42, from Cinnamon Brow, Warrington, was in a relationship with Anthony Saunderson, known to criminal associates as " Jesse Pinkman" after the drug dealer in Breaking Bad, who is now serving 35 years behind bars. North Wales Police detectives said encrypted messages between Saunderson and other OCG members mentioned 'Kerri' and 'Peggy'. Investigators later confirmed that Saunderson was in a relationship with Pegg. Pegg was jailed for nine years on Friday (16 May) after being found guilty of two counts of misconduct in a public office and handling criminal product.
The Sun
16-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Sun
Prison governor jailed over fling with Breaking Bad drug gang boss dubbed ‘Jesse Pinkman' who gifted her £12k Mercedes
A PRISON governor has been jailed over an illicit relationship with a drug gang boss who gifted her a £12,000 Mercedes. Kerri Pegg was seen as a "rising star" in the Prison Service and quickly rose through the ranks to become governor at HMP Kirkham in Lancashire. 8 8 8 But her career is now in ruins after she embarked on a relationship with inmate Anthony Saunderson, who was known as Jesse Pinkman after the series Breaking Bad. Pegg, 42, has now been jailed after she was found guilty of two counts of misconduct in a public office. One relates to the divorcee's fling with Saunderson and the second by failing to disclose county court judgements about her debts. She was also convicted of one count of possessing criminal property, the Mercedes car, from Saunderson. Preston Crown Court heard Pegg released Saunderson on licence in 2019 despite not having the authority to approve the bid. After he was granted his freedom, the prisoner used cash from selling 34 kilos of amphetamines to buy Pegg the Mercedes coupe. On April 6, 2020, Saunderson was sent a message on Encrochat saying "car her for ya bird 12 quid or work" and a photo of the vehicle. The court was told "12 quid" meant £12,000 and "work" meant drugs. Saunderson asked "what work they want" and he was told "top or weed" - meaning cocaine or cannabis. Two days later, he arranged for "17 packs" to be dropped off in Manchester to pay for the car. The Mercedes was registered in Pegg's name, with a pal messaging Saunderson: "Where u ya seedy man u and Peggy out floating orrel in the new whip?" Law enforcement agencies cracked the criminal's Encrochat and discovered he was involved in drug trafficking on a huge scale. Saunderson, who was also known to his criminal pals as James Gandolfini -the actor who played Tony Soprano in the mafia TV Series - has now been locked up for 35 years. 8 8 The court was told other messages revealed the "ongoing nature" of his relationship with Pegg. Police searched her home on November 19, 2020, and found a toothbrush and flip flops containing Saunderson's DNA. Officers also discovered a haul of designer clothing and found Pegg was subject to a number of county court judgements for unpaid debts. Prosecutor Barbara-Louise Webster said: "Her downfall was two-fold, the first, despite having a good income, she lived beyond her means. "She spent all her income and more, incurring debts and she had county court judgements made against her. "As a consequence, she became vulnerable and open to exploitation. "The second was that she became emotionally and personally involved with a serving prisoner, Anthony Saunderson and later accepted an expensive car, a Mercedes C class, which was paid for by him out of his proceeds of criminal activity ie trading in drugs." Pegg joined the prison service in 2012 as a graduate entrant and worked at prisons in Risley, Liverpool and Styal. By April 2018, she was a governor at HMP Kirkham, where Saunderson was serving a lengthy jail term. He had been locked up in 2014 for his part in importing £19m of cocaine in shipments of corned beef from Argentina. From the start, there were concerns about Pegg being inappropriately close to prisoners. It was also noted that she spent a lot of time in her office with Saunderson. In October 2018, he put in a request to be released on temporary licence. Despite Pegg not having the authority to green light his release, she intervened and approved his application without notifying the official who should have dealt with the case. Days later she was moved to another jail, later becoming duty governor at HMP Lancaster Farms. Saunderson meanwhile was revealed as one of nine gangland figures responsible for producing amphetamines on an industrial, multi-million-pound scale. The gang made and dealt 2.6 tonnes of amphetamines worth £1million - as well as trafficking heroin, cocaine, cannabis, ketamine, MCAT and diazepam. Tarryn McCaffrey, from the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), said: "Kerri Pegg's conduct fell far short of what might be expected from any professional within the Prison Service, let alone one of such a senior grade as prison governor. "She was clearly involved in an inappropriate relationship with Saunderson after he was released and the evidence points to this going back further, to a time when he was in jail. "This relationship, and the fact that Pegg failed to disclose her debts to her employers, amount to a gross breach of trust and are therefore extremely damaging to public confidence." 8 8
