Six drug dealers have been jailed for a combined total of nearly 40 years after police uncovered a cocaine trafficking ring flooding North Devon with millions of pounds worth of Class A drugs.
The operation, known as Operation Haku, exposed a ruthless crime syndicate linking North Devon to West Yorkshire and Merseyside in a significant police crackdown.
The gang operated a high-speed courier network, making 17 cocaine runs between Liverpool and Devon. Their haul had a street value of up to £4 million. Once the drugs reached Devon, street dealers in Barnstaple and surrounding towns took over distribution.
Courier Neil Warren was caught red-handed with 3kg of cocaine worth £240,000 during a return trip from Liverpool.
The criminal cast includes:
- Christopher Harper, 46, from Goole – Lead organiser.
- Stephen Reid, 52, from Liverpool – Co-organiser.
- Paige Kightley, 31, from Bideford – North Devon regional boss.
- Neil Warren, 49, from Ilfracombe – Courier caught with drugs.
- Karl Aldridge, 38, from Barnstaple – Street supplier.
- Ezra Walker, 40, from Manchester – Supplier and courier.
Police released dramatic footage of Warren’s arrest on the M5 motorway and a covert hotel drug deal between Harper and Warren. On 5 November 2024, Walker was stopped on the A361 near Barnstaple with cocaine hidden in his car. This led officers to Aldridge’s home, where they seized more drugs, dealer equipment, and cash.
The gang’s communications were closely monitored. Harper’s texts included instructions to Warren, such as: “ring me asap, pal, it’s time to get busy.” Warren was caught with £240,000 worth of drugs shortly after leaving Liverpool in December 2024. Harper was arrested in Peterborough in April 2025 while holding the gang’s drug network phone. Reid was apprehended in Liverpool with multiple devices used to organise shipments. Kightley was taken into custody at her Barnstaple home with drug paraphernalia.
The sentences handed down are as follows:
- Karl Aldridge – 5 years 4 months.
- Ezra Walker – 5 years 4 months.
- Neil Warren – 4 years.
- Christopher Harper – 10 years 5 months.
- Stephen Reid – 7 years 5 months.
- Paige Kightley – 5 years 7 months.
Detective Inspector Daniel Bickford said, “This group exploited vulnerable people and brought fear and misery to our communities. Today’s sentences send a clear message: organised crime will not be tolerated.”
North Devon police chief Graham Thomas added, “These sentences should deter anyone thinking of dealing drugs here. Our communities feel the impact of drug supply and crime, and we are determined to stamp it out.”
If you have information on drug activity, you can report it anonymously by calling 0800 555 111. For non-emergencies, contact Devon & Cornwall Police on 101, or visit their official website. In an emergency, always dial 999.
Originally published by UKNIP.
