LOCAL NEWS: Drug gang receive 40 years prison sentence

The final member of a drug crime group has been sentenced.

An organised crime group (OCG) that supplied cocaine and heroin across the South West has been sentenced, following an investigation from the South West Regional Organised Crime Unit (SWROCU).

Adam Rowsell, 36, of Exmouth in Devon, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply class A drugs on the first day of his trial. On the 25th June, he was sentenced to two years and eight months at Exeter Crown Court. Rowsell was the last of eight defendants to be dealt with by the courts for supplying class A drugs across Devon, Cornwall and Dorset. This brings the combined sentence for the OCG to almost 40 years.  

Darell Daniels, aged 38 from Bournemouth, headed the criminal organisation. He originally sourced cocaine and heroin from the North West, before finding a new supplier after a seizure and arrest was made. In 2023, he pleaded guilty to two counts of conspiracy to supply Class A drugs. He was then sentenced to 12 years in prison at Exeter Crown Court.

Adam Rowsell

Darell Daniels

Daniels’ switch from a North West to West Midlands supplier came after officers intercepted three kilos of cocaine and one kilo of heroin in a car occupied by Rowsell and Danielle Evans, 38, from Exmouth, as they returned south on the M5 in August 2022. Evans admitted going to Runcorn Ski Centre and collecting drugs from a man, who officers later identified as Bradley Edwards, 24, from Runcorn. 

Evans’ and Rowsell’s trip was planned by both Daniels and Paula Libbey, 48, also from Exmouth. Libbey recruited and arranged couriers for Daniels. She pleaded guilty to her role within the OCG and was sentenced to four years and two months in prison. 

Libbey’s facilitated her partner’s travel, Craig Randle, 42,  across hundreds of miles from their home in Exmouth to Runcorn to assist in Daniels’ drugs operation. He also pleaded guilty and was sentenced to two years and four months for being concerned in the supply of class A drugs. 

Cocaine in the hide

Following the arrest of Rowsell and Evans, Daniels changed his method of couriering drugs and cash. On a WhatsApp message, Daniels said that transporting drugs long distances required purpose-built hides within cars, saying he had “lost 4 things the other month”.

Daniels continued to source multiple kilos of class A drugs. He was assisted by Connor Williams, age 26 from Plymouth, who stored and transported drugs and cash for Daniels, and Aiden Henry, age 42 from Solihull who transported drugs from the West Midlands.

Henry was tasked to collect and deliver 43 kilos of class A drugs to various people throughout the UK, including five kilos of cocaine to Daniels. In February 2023, Williams met Henry to exchange a JD Sports bag containing £95k cash for a black plastic bin bag containing five kilo blocks of high purity cocaine.  

Cash from JD bag

To show proof of the exchange, Williams sent Daniels a video of the money all wrapped and ready to be handed over. Williams was stopped by officers and arrested as he made his way back to his house with the cocaine. He was sentenced to five years for conspiracy to supply class A  drugs. 

Henry was arrested on his way to Brighton and the JD Sports bag was found the following day along with a further eight kilo blocks of cocaine when his car was examined and the hide discovered. He was sentenced to six years for conspiracy to supply class A drugs. 

DCI Adam Smith of the SWROCU said: “Daniels continued his illegal activity shortly after leaving prison for carrying out similar offences. This time he sought new ways to try and evade law enforcement following the arrest of some of his associates; changing his supplier and utilising a hidden compartment within a car to try and conceal drugs and cash.   

“His determination was no match for our officers who work tirelessly to pursue those intent on supplying illegal drugs at scale into our region and into our communities. Our work with local forces and partners means there is no ‘safe’ way to bring drugs into the South West and we will keep targeting those intent on doing so.” 

Rachael Scott, Head of the CPS South West Complex Casework Unit said: “The Crown Prosecution Service worked closely with officers from the South West Regional Organised Crime Unit to prosecute this organised crime group, which transported kilos of Class A drugs from the north of England into Devon and Dorset.  

“Together we were able to build the strongest possible case and ensure that Adam Rowsell and his co-conspirators had no option but to plead guilty. Rowsell has today become the final defendant to be sentenced for his role in this criminal conspiracy and will serve a two year and eight month sentence as a result.”