Eight men were sentenced at Leicester Crown Court on 1 May for conspiracy to supply Class A drugs, following a major investigation by the East Midlands Special Operations Unit (EMSOU) into cocaine trafficking between Leicestershire and the West Midlands.
Police uncovered two linked drug gangs operating since 2023: a West Midlands-based group centred largely in Coventry and a second ring operating in Barwell and Hinckley, Leicestershire. The operation dismantled wholesale and street-level cocaine supply chains running across the regions.
The court heard how surveillance and phone messages revealed meetings where cocaine was transferred between gang members. Officers recovered thousands of pounds in cash and images of cocaine from multiple defendants’ devices, supporting the conspiracy charges.
The sentences handed down total 47 years. The individuals sentenced are:
- Steven Merrick, 33, Warwick – 7 years 7 months
- Sean O’Farrell, 36, Coventry – 5 years 3 months
- Thomas Higginson, 31, Coventry – 3 years 9 months
- Michael York, 34, Broughton Astley – 6 years 3 months
- Paul Meek, 40, Barwell – 7 years
- Peter Tomkowicz, 47, Barwell – 7 years
- Damien Haswell, 40, Barwell – 4 years 11 months
- Daniel Barlow, 31, Earl Shilton – 5 years 3 months
The police enforcement operation spanned nearly a year, running from May 2023 to April 2024, culminating in charges against all defendants in April 2024. Earlier in 2025, eight other men connected to the same network were jailed for over 60 years combined.
Originally published by UKNIP.
