Eight arrested after warrants in Chesterfield and Birmingham targeting alleged drugs gang

Officers from the North Organised Crime Group Unit conducted three warrants over the past two weeks focusing on a group alleged to be involved in the supply and distribution of drugs in the Chesterfield area.

The operation – which took place in the town as well as in Birmingham – has seen eight people arrested, significant quantities of class A and B drugs seized and large amounts of cash recovered.

The first arrests took place on Thursday 23 September in Chesterfield where a 36-year-old man and a 36-year-old woman were detained after an Audi Q7 was stopped A61 near Tupton at around 9pm.

Inside the vehicle a quantity of what is believed to be crack cocaine was discovered along with a substantial amount of cash.

Both the man and the woman, who are from the North Wingfield area, were arrested on suspicion of being concerned in the supply of class A drugs and have since been released under investigation.

Shortly after the car was stopped a warrant was executed at a house in Chatsworth Road, Chesterfield, where a 33-year-old man from Chesterfield was arrested on suspicion of being concerned in the supply of class A drugs. He has since been released under investigation.

Also, at the address was 47-year-old Mark Haystead, of Chatsworth Road, Chesterfield. He was arrested and subsequently charged with one count of being concerned in the offer to supply heroin and one count of offering to supply crack cocaine and will appear at Derby Crown Court on 28 October.

A further warrant was conducted at another address in Chatsworth Road on September 28 where three men were arrested after a significant quantity of what is believed to be cocaine was discovered during a search of the property.

The three men were arrested on suspicion of the following offences and have all been released on police bail:

• 27-year-old, from Chesterfield, two counts of possession with intent to supply class A drugs.
• 43-year-old, of Chesterfield, possession with intent to supply class A drugs and being concerned in the production of a class A drug.
• 51-year-old, of Chesterfield, concerned in the supply of cocaine and possession with intent to supply a controlled class A drug.

The final warrant into the groups alleged activities took place at an address in Birch Road East, in the Witton area of Birmingham, on Thursday 1 October.

At the address a large cannabis grow was discovered with around 400 plants recovered and one man was arrested on suspicion of the production of cannabis.

Detective Sergeant Simon Cartwright, from the North Organised Crime Unit, said: “We are all too aware of the misery that drug dealing has on our communities and I would urge anyone who suspects that drug dealers are operating in their area to come forward.

“Every piece of information we receive helps inform our intelligence picture of the way criminals conduct their business and help disrupt and dismantle their operations.”

If you have information you can contact Derbyshire police using any of the below methods in confidence:

• Facebook– send us a private message to /DerbyshireConstabulary
• Twitter– direct message our contact centre on @DerPolContact
• Website– complete the online contact form derbyshire.police.uk/Contact-Us.
• Phone – call us on 101.

You can also call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.