OCG jailed for over 200 years in GMP crackdown against multi-million-pound cocaine conspiracy
A three-year investigation by Greater Manchester Police (GMP) into a multi-million-pound cocaine conspiracy has concluded with 16 men receiving prison sentences totaling over 200 years. The operation, codenamed Operation Bowler, targeted an organized crime group (OCG) involved in trafficking high-purity cocaine across the Northwest. Key figures like Jonathan Smith and Louis Cleworth were implicated, with evidence gathered through surveillance, ANPR, and telephone analysis. The group was responsible for moving at least 75 kilos of cocaine, valued at £7.5 million. The final defendant, Christopher Paul, was sentenced to 16 years.
16 Men Jailed as £7.5m Cocaine Plot Crumbles After Three-Year GMP Surveillance
A sprawling drugs conspiracy that pumped at least 75 kg of high-purity cocaine worth £7.5 million through the North-west has ended with the final member of the gang locked up and the collective prison tally passing 200 years.
Christopher Paul, 35, of Hill Place, Nelson, received a 16-year sentence at Manchester Crown Court after admitting conspiracy to supply Class A drugs, closing the file on an investigation that began when covert officers watched courier Jonathan Smith abruptly abandon his phone the day after rival king-pin James Mulligan was arrested in October 2021. Smith’s sudden silence told detectives the two gangs were linked; months of surveillance followed, capturing 150-plus delivery runs between Middleton and safe-houses in Greater Manchester, Lancashire and West Yorkshire.
The network unravelled in a series of strikes culminating on 27 July 2022, when 13 addresses were raided simultaneously. Officers seized tiger-stamped cocaine blocks identical to those found in Mark Hague’s car after a hand-over on Stakehill Lane, Middleton, plus £300,000 cash, designer goods and debtor lists. One dealer, Elliot Riley, was caught sprinting into his back yard in underwear while trying to flush two smashed phones down a smoking toilet.
Detective Sergeant Mark Rigby said:
“This has been an exhaustive investigation which has resulted in over 200 years of prison sentences. This is a true testament to years of hard work and dedication by officers across the serious crime division and colleagues at the Crown Prosecution Service who have given us endless hours of their time, insight, and expertise throughout this entire investigation. Drugs trafficking is a major source of revenue for organised crime groups, and it brings a culture of violence and addiction to our communities.”
The 16 convicted men, led at trial by 41-year-old Jonathan Smith, were jailed for terms ranging from seven years eight months to 17 years six months.
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