DRUG RING GANG JAILED

DRUG RING GANG JAILED

A brazen drug dealer was caught on camera waving a massive knife in a street, as part of a police sting which saw seven thugs jailed.

Six of the gang, who includes one callous crook who previously served time for attacking a pregnant woman, are now locked up for over 23 years combined.

The gang were busted as part of a plain clothed operation, dubbed ‘Cooden’, targeting heroin and crack cocaine dealers in Brighton, East Sussex.

Operation Cooden, which ran from June to December 2015, saw 50 people arrested including the seven who were part of a drug dealing network known locally as ‘Ricky’ – responsible for two heroin related deaths.

Inquests found that both Dennis Walsh, 48, and Madeline Stokes, 20, died of drug overdoses.

Ring leader Remy Douieb, 22, of Hassocks, West Sussex, was handed the longest sentence of six years in jail.

He would hold ‘deal’ phones and direct runners to users to supply heroin and crack.

The thug had already served time after a robbery in Reading, when he attacked a seven-month pregnant woman, who had complained to him about selling drugs outside her mother’s house.

Judge Barnes said: “During the attack you told that woman that you were a man with no morals. I sincerely hope you find some during this sentence.”

Douieb’s right hand man, 20-year-old Damian George, 20, of Ilford, Essex, oversaw resupplies to the drug ‘runners.’

He was caught on undercover camera waving a knife around, and was armed with a black imitation hand gun when he was arrested.

He was jailed at Lewes Crown Court for five years and eight months.

Geoffrey Momoh, 24, of Harlow, Essex, was sentenced to three and a half years, Dean Temple, 38, of Brighton, was sentenced to 28 months and Sam Povall, 31, of no fixed address, was sentenced to 27 months.

The seventh gang member, Charlie Magrino, who is now 18 but aged 17 at the time of the offending, of Haringey, north London, was sentenced to two years suspended for two years.

Addressing the seven, on Friday 24th June, Judge Barnes said: “I cannot sentence you for the deaths of those poor people but I will name them and they will not be forgotten.

“You were all heavily involved in this prolific, callous and brazen drug dealing which is not low level.

“You plied your filthy trade in front of children and families playing on the beach amongst other areas. I would not be doing my duty to the community if I did not pass severe custodial sentences.”

All of the other 43 people arrested as part of Operation Cooden pleaded guilty to offences including possession with intent to supply Class A and other conspiracies related to drugs supply.

Detective Sergeant Julian Deans, who was the Deputy Senior Investigating Officer, said: “It takes hours and hours of painstaking work behind the scenes in the shadows to build a case of this nature.

“I am pleased to have been able to rid the city of this group.

“The likes of Douieb and George thought that they could just bring their knives and guns to protect their heroin business into this city and this was met head on by our team.

“My thoughts also go out to every family that is affected by heroin. I have both the fortune and misfortune to witness both sides of the trade.

“I live a surreal life at times, where I witness drug dealers peddling their death on the streets of Brighton and then end up investigating the end product of that trade by investigating every heroin death.”

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