West Berkshire man convicted of drugs conspiracy

Detectives found substantial amounts of cocaine after stopping vehicle

A WEST Berkshire man has been convicted of conspiracy to supply Class A controlled drugs.

Samuel Hughes of Omers Rise in Burghfield Common is among four men from across the south east to have been caught following an investigation by the South East Regional Organised Crime Unit (SEROCU).

Following the conclusion of a trial at Guildford Crown Court on Tuesday, December 10, the fourth member of the group was found guilty of one count of conspiracy to supply class A drugs, namely cocaine.

Three others had previously pleaded guilty to the same offence.

Along with 28-year-old Mr Hughes they are Ben Kirby, aged 29, of Sutton Field in Whitehill, Hampshire; Ricky Shanahan, aged 28, of Sutton Way, Kensington and Chelsea, in London and Jake Wheeler, 26, of Lodge Road, Yately, in Hampshire

A fifth man was found not guilty following a trial.

During SEROCU’s investigation, drugs with a street value of over £300,000 were seized along with large sums of cash and multiple mobile phones.

Detectives had located substantial amounts of cocaine after stopping a car driven by Wheeler on the M3 near Frimley, Surrey, in December 2018. They later found more when searching his Hampshire home.

All four have been remanded and are due to be sentenced at Guildford Crown Court next March.

Det Insp Graham Curtis, from SEROCU’s investigations team, said: “Drug dealing causes significant harm in our communities and our teams are unrelenting in their pursuit of those involved.

“Tackling the supply of drugs one of the biggest priorities for SEROCU, and we continue to work tirelessly using our specialist resources. It is a great result to get these drugs and their dealers off of the streets.”

He added: “I would urge anyone who thinks they may have information on potential drug dealing, regardless of the location, to contact police by calling 101.”