Eighteen jailed over drugs ring

8 February 2013 Last updated at 09:47 ET

Eighteen men have been jailed for their parts in an organised crime group which supplied class A drugs to dealers across Lincolnshire.

The men from London, Peterborough, Grimsby, Derbyshire and Boston, were each sentenced to between 16 months and 13 years at Nottingham Crown Court.

An East Midlands Special Operations Unit (EMSOU) spokesman said the drugs had a street value of about 2m.

He added the group was "highly organised" and "professional".

Speaking about the investigation - named Operation Latious - leading up to the convictions, EMSOU's Det Ch Insp Joe Elliott said they discovered a very comprehensive set-up in Boston.

"They were receiving large amounts of cocaine which was then being supplied to dealers in Boston and Lincolnshire.

"It was highly organised in that the group had individuals with different jobs. Some were store men, others were responsible for mixing it and others distributed it to the dealers," he said.

The investigation showed how the Lincolnshire-based group, headed by Nicholas Howarth, 44, of Wing Drive, Boston and Leigh Upsall, 30, of Keel Drive, Kirton, originally sourced high purity cocaine from Hakki Salih, 50, of Maroons Way, London, from December 2010.

The group then moved on to a Peterborough-based supplier from May 2011, headed by Andrew Friel, 30, of Geddington, Peterborough and Matthew Purves, 29, of Stewartby Avenue, Peterborough.

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Eighteen jailed over drugs ring