Three men have been jailed following a major drugs investigation in Swindon which saw police seize cocaine, cannabis, ecstasy, crystal meth and other drugs valued at up to £562,455. Officers also recovered more than £41,000 in cash, while a subsequent financial investigation identified hundreds of thousands of pounds passing through one defendant’s bank account. Lewis Howells, Kyran Crane and Bailey Wilson have all now been sentenced in connection with the investigation into drug supply in the town.
Police seize huge haul of drugs
The investigation escalated on 23 March when officers from Wiltshire Police‘s Serious and Organised Crime unit arrested Kyran Crane, 23, of Baydon Close, Swindon, and Bailey Wilson, 21, of Walter Close, Swindon. Police said they had evidence that Crane had been using Wilson to store and supply drugs on his behalf. Both were also found in possession of a bladed article when they were arrested. Officers discovered Crane had just sent a message to another man ordering a large quantity of cannabis. That man was subsequently identified as 51-year-old Lewis Howells. Howells was arrested the following day and officers searched his address in Ipswich Street, Swindon. Inside, police discovered a substantial quantity of Class A and Class B drugs together with more than £41,000 in cash.
Cocaine, crystal meth and thousands of ecstasy tablets recovered
Wiltshire Police said the drugs seized had a combined estimated value of between £303,840 and £562,455. The haul included:
- 2.5kg of cocaine
- 26.9kg of cannabis
- approximately 9,000 ecstasy tablets
- 4.3kg of ketamine
- 1.17kg of crystal meth
- 1.6kg of cannabis resin
- 798g of magic mushrooms
- 4.5 litres of GBL
- 493g of MDMA crystal
More than £444,000 passed through account
A financial investigation into Howells found that more than £444,000 had passed through his account during the two years before his arrest. Police said more than £330,000 consisted of third-party payments suspected of being connected to drugs. A further £100,000 was discovered in a savings account, which police have frozen pending Proceeds of Crime proceedings. Howells appeared at Swindon Crown Court on Friday, 18 September, where he was sentenced to four years in prison.
Crane and Wilson also jailed
Crane had previously pleaded guilty to being concerned in the supply of Class A and Class B drugs. Wilson pleaded guilty to being concerned in the supply of Class A drugs. Both were sentenced on 5 June. 
Crane was jailed for four years, while Wilson received a three-year prison sentence. The three men were therefore handed a combined 11 years in prison.
‘Significant quantities of drugs’
Detective Inspector Sarah Champion said:
“Crane, Wilson and Howells were responsible for the supply of significant quantities of drugs into Swindon. Drugs are a blight on our communities and we know that such illegal activity is closely linked to violence and criminal exploitation of vulnerable people. “We are determined to root out those who seek to profit from selling drugs, and the criminal networks that support this activity. “Information from the public is vital in helping us bring those who are behind this activity before the courts.”
Wiltshire Police said information from the public remains important in identifying people involved in drug supply and the criminal networks supporting them.
Originally published by UKNIP.
