Drugs gang sentenced after Surrey Police officers find nearly half a million pounds in car boot

The final members of a gang of six men were sentenced yesterday (Wednesday, 6 April) at Kingston Crown Court for their parts in a large-scale cocaine and cannabis drug dealing operation.

In November 2019 Surrey Police received intelligence that Jack Richardson (pictured below) was orchestrating a drug supply network. Richardson would send various accomplices to Liverpool to pick up class A drugs in large quantities which he then disseminated in Surrey and beyond.

Our investigation team watched Richardson, and quickly confirmed the existence of an organised network of dealers and runners, all doing Richardson’s legwork.

Investigators began to dismantle the network. Drug runners Adam Carter and George Summersby were arrested at Warwick services, en route from an early morning drugs pick-up in Liverpool, and with a kilo of cocaine with a street value of £100,000 in the car.

Richardson himself remained the main police target, and an elusive one at that – he seemingly refused to get his own hands dirty. Then the investigation team’s hard work paid off when Richardson was spotted handling two carrier bags, later handed over to another man in suspected drug deal. In return the man gave Richardson a large heavy-looking holdall.

Richardson was arrested after a chase on foot and when he was searched officers found two car keys. One of the keys was for a Vauxhall Astra that Richardson had taken the carrier bags from. When police searched this car, they found £479,650 in cash in the boot and cocaine with a street value of £156,900.

The other man taking part in the deal was tracked down and arrested by Derbyshire Police who found the carrier bags in the car with him; one contained almost £20,000 and the other half a kilo of cannabis. The large holdall the man gave to Richardson was also located, having been thrown out of the window of an Epsom flat linked to Charles Hall. The holdall contained cannabis with a street value of over £45,000. Hall’s DNA was found on the holdall and on expert examination, his phone records strongly suggested that he too was a player in the drug supply network.

Finally, Mick Carter who at one point was Adam Carter’s ‘holiday cover’ as drugs courier was linked to the operation through his phone messages and was arrested as he went about his day job as a gardener after police on patrol recognised him.

During the investigation, detectives discovered that Richardson spent the spoils of his illegal operation on a lavish lifestyle including renovations to his high-end home and a collection of cars. His drug dealing also funded a trip to Turkey from which Richardson returned sporting a new hairline and having had extensive dental work done.

-  Jack Richardson, 32, of Chessington Road, Epsom pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply class A drugs and was sentenced to 11 years and three months in prison;

-  George Summersby, 25, of HMP High Down pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply class A drugs and was sentenced to seven years and two months in prison; 

-  Mick Carter, 42 of Wandle Court, West Ewell pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply class A drugs and was sentenced to five years and four months in prison;

-  Adam Carter, 40, of Brooklands Way, Redhill was found guilty of possession with intent to supply class A drugs at a trial at Guildford Crown Court on 24 September 2021 and was sentenced to seven years and six months in prison;

-  Charles Hall, 32, of Crayke Hill, Chessington pleaded guilty to being concerned in the supply of class A drugs and possession with intent to supply class B drugs and was sentenced to two years and eight months in prison on 29 March 2021 at Guildford Crown Court

Investigating officer Detective Constable Martin O’Neill of Surrey Police’s proactive investigation team says:

“Richardson ran a coordinated operation, keeping himself well out of the way of the trips up the motorway to Liverpool and instead delegating those to his accomplices. Little did he and his organised crime gang know we were aware of exactly what they were doing.

“Getting to this point took a lot of hard work and a lengthy and painstaking investigation, so to see everyone involved now facing jail time is really pleasing.

“Our message to drug dealers operating in Surrey is if you give us even a small opportunity to find out more about you and what you’re up to then we will take that opportunity and you could end up in jail. Unfortunately for him, the only people getting to admire Jack Richardson’s cosmetic improvements for the next eleven years will be his fellow inmates.”

You can see the moment our officers discovered £479,650 in cash and cocaine with a street value of £156,900 in the boot of a car connected to Jack Richardson here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9DkuoQOkKLw.