Five Shropshire men convicted over county drugs operation
Five men from Shropshire have been convicted over their part in the supply of drugs in the county.
Two other men, from Birmingham and London, have also been convicted of being involved in the conspiracy to supply cocaine.
A series of trials and hearings have been held at Birmingham Crown Court in the past month and had been the subject of reporting restrictions.
The defendants were either convicted, or pleaded guilty, to various charges relating to the supply of the cocaine and the possession and production of cannabis on various dates between June 2013 and December 2014.
Jason Whitehead, 44, of Thistle Close, Randlay, Telford; Michael Smith, 53, of Stonedale, Sutton Hill, Telford; Leslie Hammond, 49, of Queens Road, Donnington, Telford; Neil Haseley, 36, of Waterloo Street, Ironbridge; Christopher Powell, 38, of Meadow Road, Newport, along with James Maxwell, 44, of Ireton Road, Birmingham, and Bajram Berisha, of Village Way, Neasdon, are all awaiting sentence.
The case centres on a joint inquiry involving West Mercia and West Midlands detectives tracking quantities of cocaine – with a potential street value of £60,000 being brought from Birmingham to Telford.
Whitehead and Maxwell were the leading players and Smith was recruited after another courier was arrested.
Officers also linked Smith to Hammond and a search of his address in Donnington revealed a "professional" cannabis growing operation with 12 plants in each of the two bedrooms at the semi-detached house and there was evidence of previous crops.
Powell and Haseley were stopped by police in December 2014 after being seen with Whitehead and at Shelmore Valley Farm at Norbury near Newport – a property linked to Haseley. Officers found another cannabis growing operation.
Officers also became aware of Maxwell handing £27,000 in cash to Berisha which was later seized when his car was stopped. Both men have admitted offences relating to money laundering.
