Dark web drug dealers sentenced to prison

The fourth and final member of a gang of a prolific drug dealers who set up shop on the dark web to sell class A drugs was sentenced last week following an extensive investigation which began three years ago.

Three of the four suppliers were handed prison sentences after pleading guilty to a variety of drugs offences at earlier court hearings, including James Buckett, 35, from Eldon Road, Caterham, who was sentenced to nine years behind bars for his role in the elaborate set-up.

From 2019, Buckett ran a shop on the dark web selling drugs such as cocaine, LSD, cannabis, and pharmaceutical products internationally. He would source the drugs himself via the dark web and get them sent to the homes of those who worked for him. He bought one of these shops from Joseph Strachan, 32, of Cintra Park, Anerley, Bromley, and used it to supply drugs.

Strachan, the only one of the dealers not to plead guilty, was sentenced to two years, suspended for two years, after being found guilty of conspiracy to supply cocaine and diazepam when he appeared in court last Monday (3 July).

Alfie Petherick, 28, from Stafford Road, Caterham, worked alongside Buckett, splitting the parcels up into smaller packages and getting them sent out to worldwide destinations such as France, Canada, the USA and Germany.

Working as a drugs runner for hire was Craig Norton, 32, from Longridge Avenue, Saltdean, who worked for several drug dealers including Buckett, dropping off drugs to buyers.

Buckett first came to police attention in February 2019 when the Heathrow Border Force intercepted a parcel addressed to him from the Netherlands which turned out to be a sealed white padded envelope containing a gold-coloured package inside of which was 60.4 grams of MDMA.

In June that same year, Buckett moved into a property in South Croydon. When he failed to pay the rent, his landlord forced entry and found drugs, drugs paraphernalia and handwritten notes on an envelope detailing how he was to create his drugs empire.

On July 29, 2020, Buckett was arrested on a boat in Brighton Marina, which he was using as a base to run his business empire, on suspicion of importing drugs and then further arrested on suspicion of conspiring with Petherick and Norton to supply drugs, possession of cannabis and possession of criminal property. He was further arrested the following day on suspicion of conspiracy to supply Class A drugs.

Norton and Petherick were also arrested on 30 July 2020 in a series of coordinated warrants across Surrey and Sussex on suspicion of conspiracy to supply Class A drugs. Joseph Strachan was arrested on 13 August 2020 for the same offence.

• James Buckett, 35, of Eldon Road, Caterham pleaded guilty to conspiring to supplying MDMA, cocaine, cannabis, and diazepam and received nine years’ imprisonment. To serve concurrently to Class B and Class C offences of conspiring to supply cannabis and diazepam.
• Alfie Petherick, 28, of Stafford Road, Caterham, pleaded guilty to conspiring to supplying MDMA, cocaine, cannabis, and diazepam and received four and a half years behind bars. To serve concurrently to Class B and Class C offences of conspiring to supply cannabis and diazepam.
• Craig Norton, 32, of Longridge Avenue, Saltdean, pleaded guilty to conspiring to supplying cocaine and received 30 months’ imprisonment from 2020 for his role following a guilty plea.
• Joseph Strachan, 32, of Cintra Park, Anerley, Bromley, was found guilty to conspiracy to supply cocaine and diazepam and received a two-year sentence suspended for two months.

The conviction of these men demonstrates that there is no safe place for drug dealers to hide and Surrey Police will prosecute those responsible for these crimes.

Detective Constable Phil Potter, from Surrey Police's Serious Organised Crime Unit, said: "These sentences are part of our continued effort into dismantling the organised crime networks within Surrey. An extensive investigation, which included reviewing phone data, has ensured these men were brought to justice. All four were part of a sophisticated network of drugs supply which stretched across the world. We urge anyone who has information regarding the supply or use of drugs in their local area to report it to us.”