Another man jailed for major drugs conspiracy

Another member of a crime group in Manchester has been jailed today (Tuesday 17 September) at Carlisle Crown Court for drug supply offences.  

Simon Buller, 46, of Freshfield Avenue, Atherton was jailed for 15 years and two months after being found guilty of conspiracy to supply Class A drugs.

Nine other defendants entered guilty pleas and were jailed in March this year for more than 100 years as part of the same conspiracy.

Scott Owen, 33, of Salisbury Way, Astley, Manchester  - 14 years 6 months 
Daryl Preston, 36, of Hamilton Street, Atherton, Manchester - 11 years 6 months  
Stephen Stockall, 62, of Well Lane, Weaverham, Cheshire - 12 years  
Reece Barnes, 31, of Elim Grove, Windermere - 12 years  
Thomas Whittaker, 42, of Brierfield, Digmoor, Skelmersdale - 12 years  
Michael Evans, 36, of Eskdale, Skelmersdale - 6 years  
Andrew Stephens, 41, of Eastfield Drive, Golbourne, Cheshire - 20 years  
Anthony Warhurst, 58, of Knowsley Street, Leigh - 9 years 8 months  
Cain Turner, 32, of Sarah Street, Hindley Green, Manchester - 8 years 8 months 
 
Operation Matrix began in March 2022 when Cumbria Police asked NWROCU detectives for help in bringing down local drug dealer, Reece Barnes, who was responsible for selling cocaine in the Windermere area.  As the investigation progressed, detectives uncovered a wider drugs conspiracy involving crime groups in Cheshire, Manchester, and Cumbria. 
   
Simon Buller was part of a Manchester based crime group who used encrypted messaging platforms to send postcodes of drug deals to their couriers who would use tokens to ensure the drugs were being handed over to the right people. Analysis of the messages evidenced that they were working with criminals in Dubai who were controlling the importations of multi-kilos of cocaine from Holland into the UK. Buller and Stevens were the ‘UK’ heads of their crime gang and would send their couriers to ports along the South coast to collect the drugs for storage in safe houses in Manchester.  

In total Operation Matrix evidenced the supply of approximately 350kg of Cocaine between the various crime groups valued in the region of 53 million pounds.

  
T/ Detective Superintendent Zoe Russo from the North West Regional Organised Crime Unit said:  
 
"We welcome the final conviction today which brings the total sentence for these crime groups to more than 120 years.

"The convictions of these individuals has no doubt had a significant impact on drug supply in the North West and the UK as a whole because we have effectively shut down a drug importation route from Holland into the UK. 
  
“Collectively these individual crime groups assisted each other in distributing hundreds of kilos of Cocaine to hundreds of customers across the UK. 
  
“We hope that this sends a message to criminals that you are not untouchable. We are committed to ridding the streets of drugs, robustly dealing with high harm offenders to reduce crime and restore trust and confidence in communities across the North West.

"I'd like to thank our colleagues at Cumbria, Cheshire and Greater Manchester Police as well as the CPS for their help throughout this investigation."