A sophisticated crime ring trafficking "industrial quantities" of Class A drugs between Merseyside and Durham was taken down - but its cage fighter ringleader remains at large.
The organised crime group, based in Durham but supplied by Merseyside gangsters Ricky Hemmings and John Campbell, flooded the North-East with cocaine, amphetamine and cannabis. The conspiracy was orchestrated, say police, by ex cage fighter Darren Towler who skipped bail and remains on the run.
Durham Constabulary launched a covert operation back in 2017, which identified 10 trips between Merseyside and County Durham in a five month period. The gang used burner phones and encrypted devices to organise distribution and the transporting of drugs and cash across the country.
