A POLICE operation which uncovered drug dealing gangs operating between Leicestershire and the West Midlands has led to a further eight men being jailed.
Steven Merrick, Sean O’Farrell, Thomas Higginson, Michael York, Paul Meek, Peter Tomkowicz, Damien Haswell and Daniel Barlow were all sentenced at Leicester Crown Court to a total of 47 years imprisonment for conspiracy to supply cocaine.
The sentences follow from April 2025, when another eight men were sentenced to a total of more than 60 years imprisonment after all pleading guilty to conspiracy to supply class A drugs in relation to the same policing operation.
Evidence gathered by the East Midlands Special Operations Unit (EMSOU) during the investigation, which dates back to 2023, showed Merrick, O’Farrell and Higginson to be involved in a largely Coventry-based gang which supplied wholesale quantities of cocaine.
York, Meek, Tomkowicz, Haswell and Barlow were all found to be involved in a group based in Leicestershire, obtaining cocaine from the West Midlands-based group and then supplying this onto ‘customers’.
Merrick was found to be a courier of wholesale quantities of cocaine but was also involved in street-dealing. More than £12,000 in cash was recovered from his address.
The investigation also uncovered evidence of a meeting in Coventry in June 2023 when O’Farrell and Higginson approached a vehicle, delivering cocaine to Meek and Tomkowicz who were inside.
Meek was also found to be involved in multiple cocaine deliveries, while phone evidence showed Tomkowicz as being involved in the supply of cocaine to users.
York was found to be a point of contact to provide cocaine to ‘runners’, trusted with access to stores of cocaine.
Haswell was found to be involved in the conspiracy on a number of dates acting as a courier, while messages showed Barlow to be involved in the collection of cash and cocaine in August 2023.
All the defendants were jailed for conspiracy to supply class A drugs.
They included Merrick, 33, formerly of Greville Road in Warwick (seven years and seven months), O’Farrell, 36, formerly of Lillington Road in Coventry (five years and three months), Higginson, 31, formerly of Henley Road in Coventry (three years and nine months), York, 34, formerly of Devitt Way in Broughton Astley (six years and three months), Meek, 40, formerly of Newlands Road in Barwell (seven years), Tomkowicz, 47, formerly of Newlands Road in Barwell (seven years), Haswell, 40, formerly of Kirkby Road in Barwell, and Barlow, 31, formerly of Borrowdale Close in Earl Shilton (five years and three months).
Det Sgt Chris Sewell of Leicestershire Police said: “Drug offending of this kind has huge impacts on our communities. We will continue to take gather information and intelligence and to take action against those who offend in this way. The people involved here believed they could freely operate without being brought to account or to face responsibility for their actions.
“My thanks do go to the investigating team involved who showed a huge amount of dedication, skill and effort in making sure that these offenders were brought before the courts.
“Please do continue to report any information you have in relation to drug offending to us to help us continue to detect these crimes and to bring those responsible to justice.”
