Two members of a Tyneside-based organised crime group involved in a worldwide drugs distribution network have been jailed.
A multi-million pound dark web operation supplying narcotics in the UK and as far afield as the USA, Israel and Thailand was busted by officers from the National Crime Agency. We reported last year how Mubinar Rahman had been jailed for nine years for his part in the gang, which was involved in more than 50 kilos of MDMA, 40,000 ecstasy tablets and more than 100 kilos of amphetamine.
Now Daniel Daymond and Robbie Arnold, described as "postmen" and who were also involved in storing some of the drugs, have also been jailed for their roles. Two bosses of the South Shields-based gang remain at large, Newcastle Crown Court heard.
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Emma Dowling, prosecuting, said: "The National Crime Agency established a criminal enterprise centred around South Shields concerning large-scale drug trafficking, including the exportation, importation and domestic supply of MDMA, principly.
"Drugs were found from various dark web operators, mostly based abroad and sent to various addresses, including Arnold's. They were collected by Rahman and Daymond, who would supply onwards to a large dark web client base here and abroad."
The court heard they were sending dozens of parcels of drugs a week in the UK and overseas. A number of the packages were intercepted by Border Force and the National Crime Agency and they contained multi-kilo amounts of drugs. Arnold also received parcels of drugs from various locations, including Germany.
The court heard the gang was smashed when Rahman was arrested in July 2020. Miss Dowling said: "A number of seizures were made, including a hundred kilos of amphetamine, phones and other drug related paraphernalia.
"The phones seized were analysed and the Telegram app was found. Both the defendants were found in the chats on that app.
"The prosecution say Rahman and Daymond were both in direct contact in these chats with those at the head of the organised crime group. Rahman appears to have been involved before Daymond because he mentored him and trained him up. Arnold was managed by Rahman."
She added: "This was a professional operation, albeit they were working for others."
Daymond, who has 22 previous convictions, and Arnold, who has no previous convitions, admitted being concerned in the supply of MDMA, amphetamine and a class C drug and exporting MDMA while Arnold also admitted importing MDMA.
Daymond, 32, of Clyde Avenue, Hebburn, was jailed for six years while Arnold, 26, of Lincoln Road, South Shields, was locked up for five years and four months.
Judge Tim Gittins told them: "You fall to be sentenced for your part in a substantial, professional operation to supply class A,B and C drugs across the country and, indeed, the wider world. Your roles were storage and postmen, roles that were vital but which put you at the greatest risk of discovery for potentially the least reward."
The judge said Daymond and Arnold did not supply all of the drugs for which the gang were responsible but did supply kilos at a time. He added: "This operation was sophisticated although your roles were largely menial.
"There were a large number of customers and you supplied to several international locations. It was effectively a one stop shop for these drugs."
Robin Patton, for Daymond, said he was working as a taxi driver and got involved at the start of the pandemic due to financial uncertaintly. He said: "For that reason he became involved - not for riches but to basically live.
"He was going to the Post Office to send these overseas items. There was always going to come a time when this desperate man was going to have to answer for this."
Robin Turton, for Arnold, said he was remorseful, adding: "This is not someone who set out to make a lot of money by involving himself in drugs. His involvement arose from his drug use and becoming increasinly in debt to Rahman and being required to pay that debt by working for Rahman.
"He tried to extricate himself from this before it came under scrutiny from the police. When Rahman was arrested, others attended his father's address, armed, to enforce the debt, which is a matter which distressed him."
Rahman, 27, of Henry Nelson Street, South Shields pleaded guilty to trafficking and being concerned in the supply of MDMA, LSD, crystal meth, heroin and cocaine, ketamine, amphetamine, xanex and diazepam and was jailed last March.
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