Guardian News
WOODFORD GREEN/ CHINGFORD: Drug raid gang jailed
10:39am Saturday 28th January 2012
A GANG of four men who were convicted of conspiracy to rob £5million worth of drugs from a safe house have been sentenced to more than 30 years in prison.
Kevin Hunter, 18, of Churchwood Terrace in Chingford, and Mark Bines, 28, of The Rodings, Snakes Lane East in Woodford Green, were among the gang who were caught en route to an address in Galleywood, Essex on July 6 last year.
The men, who were heading for the safe house in two vans, were stopped by police in Margretting Road, Galleywood.
A search of the vehicles uncovered a loaded gun, hammers, handcuffs, balaclavas and masks.
An address linked to Bines was later searched and found to contain £5,000 in cash and a computer containing images of the safe house which the gang planned to rob.
On raiding the property in Galleywood, police found 1,000kg of cannabis and 50kg of amphetamine as well as drug-making paraphernalia.
The occupant David Fearn, 56, was arrested and subsequently pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply controlled drugs receiving four years in prison.
All four men were sentenced at Southwark Crown Court yesterday (Friday).
Bines, who pleaded guilty to conspiracy to rob and conspiracy to supply controlled drugs, was sentenced to eight years.
Hunter, who was found guilty of conspiracy to rob and possession of a firearm with intent to commit an indictable offence, was jailed for 10 years.
Two other men Aaron Morris, 22, of Fawe Street in Tower Hamlets, and Mark Morris, 37, of East India Dock Road in Tower Hamlets, were both sentenced to eight years for conspiracy to rob and supply drugs.
Speaking after the men were sentenced, Detective Inspector Bruce South said: “I believe these individuals were intent on committing a violent robbery at the safe house and have no doubt that had it not been for the intervention of officers we could have seen a very different set of circumstances unfold.”
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