A GROUP of drug dealers who supplied millions of pounds worth of cocaine have been jailed, including a man from Coventry.
Martin Brown, Mark Cheadle, Paul Paterson and James Piotrowski were all jailed earlier this week for their part in a major drugs conspiracy.
A major investigation by Regional Organised Crime Unit (ROCU) officers uncovered them transporting hundreds of kilos of cocaine from London and Bedfordshire and distributing them throughout the Midlands.
On November 10 2022, a van hired by the group was stopped by officers on the M6, where 130 kilos of cocaine were found in the back.
The driver, Martin Brown, from Coventry, was arrested on suspicion of possession with intent to supply Class A drugs.
The cocaine in the van was in green refuse sacks and the blocks themselves stamped with the Latin phrase “alea iacta est” or “the die is cast”.
After Brown was arrested officers also arrested Piotrowski, on the same day with 10 kilos of cocaine found in his van with the same words stamped on the packaging.
Mark Cheadle and Paul Patterson were later arrested after they were identified as the people who supplied the drugs to Brown and Piotrowski.
Following an extensive investigation, all four defendants were charged and jailed on August, 14.
Cheadle, Patterson and Brown were charged with conspiracy to supply class A drugs, while Piotrowski was charged with being concerned in the supply of class As.
Mark Cheadle, 57, of Ridgmont, Bedfordshire, was jailed for 15 years 2 months, Paul Patterson, 43, of Biggleswade, Bedfordshire, was jailed for 12 years 9 months, Martin Brown, 40, of Foster Road, Coventry, was jailed for 13 years 7 months and James Piotrowski, 40, of Trescott Road, Birmingham, was jailed for 6 years.
