Cocaine gang laundered staggering £9 million in dirty money even during lockdown
09.05.2022 - 22:53
/ manchestereveningnews.co.uk
An international drugs network peddling huge amounts of cocaine laundered more than £9 million in dirty money even during the height of lockdown. One drug dealer complained about how lockdown had made drug dealing difficult and vowed to move to Dubai.
"As long as I can make money that all that matter..." Adam Marsden said in one EncroChat message, the hacking of which proved to be the Greater Manchester based gang's downfall.
Marsden, 37, as well as others including Leon Atkinson were involved in multi kilo deals of cocaine. Atkinson, 44, was described as a 'regional' cocaine supplier who sold on drugs imported into the UK by a contact.
READ MORE : Motorcyclist dies after horror crash in Tameside
He was linked to at least 28 kilos of cocaine. Marsden was linked to 12 kilos and Nathan Powell to 13 kilos, with the pair being described as 'distributors' lower down the chain. Atkinson took on 13 kilos of the 30 kilos of cocaine stolen in an audacious armed robbery at the stashhouse of a notorious Liverpool gang.
Two men were seriously injured after members of the Cox crime gang struck in a meticulously planned heist. The handover of the 13 kilos took place near Manchester City's training ground, as Powell, 33, picked up the drugs from the Cox's courier Michael Nevin, 35, who described himself as a 'gangster transporter'.
"In the period covered by the indictment, Mr Atkinson, Mr Ghafar, Mr Marsden and Mr Powell were part of a network of organised criminals and crime groups involved in the supply of substantial quantities of class A controlled drugs, in particular cocaine," prosecutor Richard Wright QC said.
"Those involved in the conspiracy to transfer criminal property were involved in transferring, in the space of three