Prosecution Concludes in £52M Class A Drug Conspiracy

Barristers Geoff Whelan and Emma Clarke of Nine Chambers appeared for the prosecution in proceedings concerning a long-running Class A drug conspiracy valued at more than £52 million.

The case followed a six-year investigation by Greater Manchester Police’s Economic Crime Unit into the large-scale supply of Class A drugs, primarily cocaine, across Greater Manchester. Evidence presented at trial included handwritten financial ledgers dating back to 2009, mobile phone data, DNA and fingerprint analysis, and video footage.

Three of the defendants entered guilty pleas. The fourth, Michael Williamson, was convicted following trial in February 2025. Sentencing proceedings for Williamson were not concluded. The other three defendants received custodial sentences ranging from 7 years (to run consecutively to an existing 14-year sentence) to 19 years and 9 months.

The matter formed part of one of GMP’s most extensive investigations into serious organised crime.