Christopher Riley, 35, was sentenced to 12-and-a-half years in prison at Newcastle Crown Court after being convicted of running a large-scale cocaine supply racket during the Covid-19 lockdown. The operation flooded the streets with drugs valued at over half a million pounds.
The investigation began in 2020 as part of Operation Venetic, an international crackdown on organised crime. Northumbria Police launched a covert inquiry targeting Riley’s cocaine network. During the probe, officers identified Riley’s right-hand man, Darren Johnson, 48, and discovered that between April and May 2020, the pair sold 15kg of high-grade cocaine along with a significant amount of cannabis.
On May 12, 2022, police arrested Riley as he arrived back from Dubai at Newcastle Airport. A search of his home uncovered £3,270 in cash, cryptocurrency passwords, and a knuckleduster. Johnson was also arrested the same day while driving in Byker. Police found cannabis worth £16,800, some cocaine, another knuckleduster, and a detailed debtors list at his residence.
Christopher Riley, from Washington Terrace, North Shields, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply Class A and B drugs and was sentenced to 12-and-a-half years in prison. Darren Johnson, of Frosterley Place, also admitted conspiracy charges and received a nine-and-a-half-year sentence.
The convictions send a clear message that North East police will not tolerate drug crime, even during challenging times such as a global pandemic.
Originally published by UKNIP.
