Drug-dealing gang jailed for 125 years after two-year police investigation

The 29 gang members have been sentenced in the climax of one of the biggest and most successful drugs investigations ever launched by Hampshire police.

Another member is still waiting to be sentenced.

Officers spent two years pursuing a gang of dealers who were plying their trade in Southampton and other parts of the south.

Known as The Manchester Boys, they often travelled to Hampshire and Sussex to cash in on the demand for heroin and crack cocaine.

PICTURED: A shotgun recovered as part of the investigation

At the height of their reign they are thought to have controlled about two-thirds of the illegal drugs market in Southampton.

The dealers, who also operated in Winchester and Brighton, are estimated to have supplied seven kilos of drugs with a street value of more than £676,000 - netting them a profit of £400,000.

Aided by accomplices in Southampton itself they used a variety of methods to deliver drugs to their customers, including the post.

In November 2013 a group of Hampshire-based detectives launched a nationwide bid to smash the gang and help make the streets safer.

Today the officers are celebrating the outcome of their investigation, having seen members of the group jailed for a combined total of 125 years and four months.

The Manchester Boys often changed tactics in a bid to avoid detection - but their activities included moments of farce that ultimately led to their downfall.

The conspiracy started to unravel after a parcel containing Class A drugs was accidentally sent to the wrong address in Brighton.

A fingerprint found on the parcel led police to Anthony Ainsley, subsequently identified as one of the ringleaders of the gang.

PICTURED: A drugs wrap inside a Kinder Egg

On another occasion the group made a clumsy attempt to dispose of evidence by hurling a sock full of drugs out of a window as police raided a property in Southampton.

Detectives conducting the investigation used CCTV footage and mobile phone records to establish the men's movements and gather the evidence needed to secure convictions.

They also called on the specialist skills of an undercover police officer, identified in court only as Gary, who posed as a drug user.

Part of the inquiry focused on the Canute Road area of Southampton, where "Gary" was able to buy cocaine and heroin on several occasions.

During more than 50 arrests police seized cash and drugs worth £20,000 and £30,000 respectively, plus a sawn-off shotgun discovered during a raid in Greater Manchester.

The subsequent decision to charge 30 people with various offences, mainly money-laundering and conspiracy to supply Class A drugs, led to two long trials at Southampton Crown Court.

Michael Forster, prosecuting, told the court that the gang sent a total of 18,000 text messages to potential customers over a 154-day period.

This week saw the final seven defendants sentenced by Judge Peter Ralls QC, who said the group was involved in what he described as a "very serious drugs conspiracy".

PICTURED: Wraps found during a raid in Canute Road, Southampton

The Manchester Boys, one of whom has been jailed for 12 years, were caught by officers involved in Operation Buntline.

Detective Inspector Mandy Horsburgh, who headed the investigation, said gang members sought to prey on vulnerable drug users across the south.

She added: "They exploited them to fund cash-rich lifestyles, with little regard for the misery that drug misuse causes individuals, families and communities.

"A dedicated team of investigators and professionals came together to dismantle an organised crime group and ensure they were brought to justice."

Det Insp Horsburgh praised the help her team received from other police forces, including Sussex and Greater Manchester.

And she had this message for anyone plotting to plug the gap left by the demise of The Manchester Boys.

Regardless of where you live, we will find you, knock on your door, seize your assets and bring you to justice,” she said.

Operation Buntline was part of the highly-successful Operation Fortress, set up in 2012 to combat the spread of drug-related violence in Southampton.

A Hampshire Police spokesman said: "At the time there was a buoyant Class A drugs market in the city, fuelled by transient and established dealers. Linked to this market were incidents of serious violence, including shootings and near-fatal stabbings.

"Operation Buntline was a two-year investigation to identify and prosecute a new organised crime group (OCG) who identified themselves as The Manchester Boys or The Manx.

"It was staffed by officers mainly from the Operation Fortress team, with the assistance of other policing units within Hampshire, as well as officers from Greater Manchester, Lancashire, Cheshire, Surrey and Sussex.

"The investigation was greatly assisted by partnership agencies such as local councils, the benefits agency, the tax office and local volunteer agencies."