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Cocaine dealers who ran drugs empire from skip yard jailed for 40 years

MEMBERS of a drugs gang in northern England who dealt cocaine from a skip hire business have been jailed for more than 40 years collectively,

Four men appeared at Bolton Crown Court on March 14 for sentencing after pleading guilty to conspiracy to supply cocaine.

The court heard that Christopher Dean, Paul Connelly, Cristopher Boylan and Cameron Ruddy were part of a sophisticated drugs smuggling network.

Christopher Dean was sentenced to twelve years and nine months

For a period of time this saw them moving large volumes of cash and drugs across the North West of England, even whilst Connelly was based overseas in Dubai.

However, they became too reliant on the Enchrochat service to encrypt their phones and hide their identity, and when international law enforcement infiltrated the site in 2020 specialist detectives were able to piece together who they really were.

Following a meticulous two-year investigation detectives were able to identify the men as being behind the anonymous handles, ‘goldflake’, ‘apetoast’, ‘unrealcafe’, ‘wordyjay’, and ‘impulsivehound’.

“Believing these secure mobile devices offered them full anonymity, these men acted with impunity, openly discussing the transfer of cash and illicit commodity,” a spokesperson for Greater Manchester Police explained.

Christopher Boylan was sentenced to eleven years and three months

“However, they also shared personal and private details on these chats, including flight details and information about their girlfriends, all of which helped detectives’ piece together the information, and identify who was behind these usernames.”

They added: “At the time of the conspiracy, Boylan ran a skip hire based on Wallgate in Wigan, and Dean and Connelly were working for a fencing company operating in the same yard.

“This location was used as a base on several occasions for meetings and exchanges of large amounts of drugs, and the skip wagons were used to transport hundreds of thousands of pounds in cash.

“The money was hidden in shoe boxes and sent abroad,” the GMP explained.

“Messages from Boylan to his co-conspirators showed him boasting that this method of transport would not rouse suspicion of police.”

Paul Connelly was sentenced to twelve years and nine months

As the investigation developed it became clear to detectives that each of the men had a role to play in the conspiracy.

“Dean and Connelly worked side by side to buy and sell drugs on a commercial scale,” the GMP explains.

“Dean directed the buying and selling but preferred to keep his distance from the cocaine and encrochat system, while Connelly organised the daily business with customers.

“Collectively, they had substantial links to, and influence on, others lower down the chain and were financially rewarded for their role,” they added.

On May 19, 2022 police executed ten warrants at addresses connected with the investigation, and ten individuals were arrested.

During the searches police seized large volumes of cocaine, ketamine, ecstasy, MDMA, drugs paraphernalia, luxury items like designer clothing, watches, and jewellery, burner phones, debtor lists, and around £40k cash.

Christopher Dean, 35, of Warrington Road in Wigan, went on to plead guilty to conspiracy to supply cocaine and was this month sentenced to twelve years and nine months behind bars.

Cameron Ruddy he was sentenced to six years

Paul Connelly, of Warminster Grove in Winstanley, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply cocaine, possession of cocaine with intent to supply, and possession of criminal property.

The 35-year-old was sentenced to twelve years and nine months.

Cristopher Boylan pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply cocaine and possession of criminal property.

The 39-year-old, of Keswick Place in Higher Ince, was sentenced to eleven years and three months.

Cameron Ruddy pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply cocaine. Aged 31, and of Great Acre in Wigan, he was sentenced to six years.

Some £40k in cash was seized during the police raids

Following their sentencing, Detective Inspector Carla Deighton from GMP’s Wigan district said: “On the surface, this appeared to be a sophisticated operation.

“For a period of time, they were able to orchestrate the sale and transfer of large volumes of cash and drugs across the North West, whilst Connelly was overseas in Dubai.

“However, these men got too comfortable with their encrypted phones.

“By sharing their personal details with one another, they essentially led us to their doors and helped us build a case strong enough to put them behind bars for a long time.”

The police force will now go after the money the men made from their criminal enterprise

She added: “The extent of their criminality should not be underestimated; they were making vast profits from this trade.

“They all owned luxury cars, clothes, jewellery, and had cash lying around their houses. Dean had also done extensive renovations to his property, which we estimated to be worth over £100,000.

All of this money was earned at the expense of the community and vulnerable people and drug users."

GMP's Economic Crime Unit will now go after the money the men made from their criminal enterprise "to ensure they cannot enjoy this upon release from prison" the police force has confirmed.

See More: Cocaine Dealers, Drugs, EncroChat, Greater Manchester