Police have shut down a major ketamine drug operation after seizing 360 kilograms of the drug, valued at up to £4.5 million, in a coordinated UK sting. The gang used encrypted chats to organise multi-kilo deals that threatened to fuel violence on the streets.
On 25 August 2022, officers observed 58-year-old Gary Parson from Ashford unloading large boxes into the car of 33-year-old James Smith in Birmingham. Both men were arrested on the spot and found with 150 kilograms of ketamine inside the crates. They now face serious charges of possession with intent to supply class B drugs and have been sentenced to prison.
The investigation extended beyond the initial arrests. Working alongside a courier company and the Netherlands National Police, officers intercepted another shipment disguised as car parts. This led to the seizure of an additional 210 kilograms of ketamine in transit, exposing a wider criminal network involved in drug trafficking.
Specialist officers identified 56-year-old Mark Brydges from Surrey and 41-year-old Kelvin Homewood from Chertsey as key coordinators of the operation. Both men used the encrypted service EncroChat to plan drug deals. Brydges, also known by the handle “#Swanny,” was convicted for supplying cocaine in addition to conspiracy to supply ketamine. Both men received lengthy prison sentences.
Detective Inspector Damian Hill of the Metropolitan Police Specialist Crime Command said, “My team prevented 150 kilograms of ketamine hitting London’s streets, stopping further drug-fuelled violence. We’re committed to dismantling these serious criminal networks to protect communities.”
Sentences handed down include:
- Kelvin Homewood, Little Green Lane, Chertsey: 7 years for conspiracy to supply 150kg ketamine (Sentenced 6 June 2023, Isleworth Crown Court)
- Gary Parson, Pike Crescent, Ashford & James Smith, Rushmead Grove, Birmingham: 5 years 3 months each for possession with intent to supply 150kg ketamine (Snaresbrook Crown Court)
- Mark Brydges, Beechtree Avenue, Surrey: 9 years 4 months for supplying cocaine and conspiring to supply 150kg ketamine (Sentenced 20 October)
Police have pledged to continue cracking down on encrypted drug communication networks to protect local communities from the harmful effects of drug crime and violence.
Originally published by UKNIP.
