The 'white van man' drug gang, caught out by their own CCTV footage

Friday, 22 December 2017 16:00

Ten members of the ‘white van man’ gang that trafficked drugs have been brought to justice.

The group’s leader Jamie Hughes ran the nationwide criminal enterprise out of the north west, and even kept a stun gun which he disguised as an smartphone.

As well as his disguised stun gun, he also installed a CCTV system to monitor his driveway. Footage from the CCTV provided NCA officers with evidence against his criminal network, as it showed various members of the conspiracy exchanging packages and leaving Hughes’ address with parcels.

The gang were convicted yesterday, following a 15-month investigation by the NCA, which uncovered how they had been delivering bulk loads of cannabis, cocaine and ketamine from Scotland to London in white vans with hidden compartments.

Jane Lloyd, branch commander at the NCA, said: “Established trafficking routes like these present a complex and troubling threat to the UK. With well worked-out logistics a criminal group can turn its hand to anything. NCA officers are alert to the tactics criminals use to shift commodities and hide their activity and are equipped with the skills and tools needed to bring them to justice.”

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