'Prada' drugs gang who sold £5,600,000 of cocaine jailed for more than 50 years
4 members of the gang acquired jail phrases totalling greater than 50 years (Photos: SWNS)

4 members of a medication gang who offered £5.6 million price of cocaine which was packed into bricks and stamped with the phrase ‘Prada’ have been jailed for greater than 50 years. 

Vikram Virdee, Dean Riley and Richard Yarker have been the important thing gamers in a bunch that peddled 56kg of sophistication A medicine throughout the UK. 

Their confederate Karl McQuillan delivered the medicine and picked up money from cities and cities within the Midlands, the Southwest and in Wales. 

The gang operated partially on EncroChat; the encrypted cell phone community utilized by criminals which was shut down in June 2020. 

The plot was uncovered when officers from the West Midlands Regional Organised Crime Unit (ROCUWM) intercepted their messages. 

CCTV footage and pictures exchanged between them additionally confirmed large bundles of money and blocks of cocaine wrapped up and embossed with the model title ‘Prada’ 

Prada branded cocaine packages from EncroChat. Four men who sold cocaine worth more than ?5.6m have been jailed after a West Midlands Regional Organised Crime Unit (ROCUWM) investigation. See SWNS story SWMDprada. Vikram Virdee, Dean Riley and Richard Yarker were the key players in a group that sold large amounts of class A drugs. The three have been jailed alongside Karl McQuillan who delivered drugs and collected cash from locations around the UK including Worcester, Wales, Gloucestershire and Nottingham. A fifth man was sentenced in August 2020. The group operated partially on EncroChat, the encrypted mobile phone network which was shut down in June 2020. Their large-scale drug supply operation was initially uncovered as part of Operation Venetic ? the UK-wide investigation into EncroChat, led by the National Crime Agency (NCA). The operation revealed some of the group?s conversations and started a huge operation conducted by investigators in the West Midlands. Over six kilograms of cocaine, four cars ? some with secret compartments ? and over 40 Hours of CCTV were seized during our investigation along with images the group sent each other of bundles of money and cocaine they had stamped with the designer brand name, Prada.
The bricks have been labelled with the model title ‘Prada’ (Image: West Midlands Police/SWNS)
Vikram Virdee has been jailed for 17 years. Four men who sold cocaine worth more than ?5.6m have been jailed after a West Midlands Regional Organised Crime Unit (ROCUWM) investigation. See SWNS story SWMDprada. Vikram Virdee, Dean Riley and Richard Yarker were the key players in a group that sold large amounts of class A drugs. The three have been jailed alongside Karl McQuillan who delivered drugs and collected cash from locations around the UK including Worcester, Wales, Gloucestershire and Nottingham. A fifth man was sentenced in August 2020. The group operated partially on EncroChat, the encrypted mobile phone network which was shut down in June 2020. Their large-scale drug supply operation was initially uncovered as part of Operation Venetic ? the UK-wide investigation into EncroChat, led by the National Crime Agency (NCA). The operation revealed some of the group?s conversations and started a huge operation conducted by investigators in the West Midlands. Over six kilograms of cocaine, four cars ? some with secret compartments ? and over 40 Hours of CCTV were seized during our investigation along with images the group sent each other of bundles of money and cocaine they had stamped with the designer brand name, Prada.
Vikram Virdee has been jailed for 17 years (Image: West Midlands Police/SWNS)
Dean Riley (L) and Richard Yarker (R) have both been jailed for being concerned in the supply of cocaine. Four men who sold cocaine worth more than ?5.6m have been jailed after a West Midlands Regional Organised Crime Unit (ROCUWM) investigation. See SWNS story SWMDprada. Vikram Virdee, Dean Riley and Richard Yarker were the key players in a group that sold large amounts of class A drugs. The three have been jailed alongside Karl McQuillan who delivered drugs and collected cash from locations around the UK including Worcester, Wales, Gloucestershire and Nottingham. A fifth man was sentenced in August 2020. The group operated partially on EncroChat, the encrypted mobile phone network which was shut down in June 2020. Their large-scale drug supply operation was initially uncovered as part of Operation Venetic ? the UK-wide investigation into EncroChat, led by the National Crime Agency (NCA). The operation revealed some of the group?s conversations and started a huge operation conducted by investigators in the West Midlands. Over six kilograms of cocaine, four cars ? some with secret compartments ? and over 40 Hours of CCTV were seized during our investigation along with images the group sent each other of bundles of money and cocaine they had stamped with the designer brand name, Prada.
Dean Riley (left) and Richard Yarker (proper) have been additionally jailed (Image: West Midlands Police/SWNS)
Karl McQuillan was a drug runner for the gang and transported drugs and cash around the UK. Four men who sold cocaine worth more than ?5.6m have been jailed after a West Midlands Regional Organised Crime Unit (ROCUWM) investigation. See SWNS story SWMDprada. Vikram Virdee, Dean Riley and Richard Yarker were the key players in a group that sold large amounts of class A drugs. The three have been jailed alongside Karl McQuillan who delivered drugs and collected cash from locations around the UK including Worcester, Wales, Gloucestershire and Nottingham. A fifth man was sentenced in August 2020. The group operated partially on EncroChat, the encrypted mobile phone network which was shut down in June 2020. Their large-scale drug supply operation was initially uncovered as part of Operation Venetic ? the UK-wide investigation into EncroChat, led by the National Crime Agency (NCA). The operation revealed some of the group?s conversations and started a huge operation conducted by investigators in the West Midlands. Over six kilograms of cocaine, four cars ? some with secret compartments ? and over 40 Hours of CCTV were seized during our investigation along with images the group sent each other of bundles of money and cocaine they had stamped with the designer brand name, Prada.
Karl McQuillan was a drug runner for the gang and transported medicine and money across the UK (Image: West Midlands Police/SWNS)

They then seized 6kg of cocaine from properties related to members, in addition to 4 vehicles kitted out with secret compartments. 

Every of the 4 defendants beforehand admitted worrying within the provide of a Class A drug between February and October 2020 at Birmingham Crown Courtroom. 

Ringleader Virdee, of Newport Pagnell, Buckinghamshire, who co-ordinated the shopping for and supplying of medicine, was jailed for 17 years. 

Riley, of Swadlincote, Derbyshire, who was the gang’s accountant dealing with money and distribution, was jailed for 9 years and 10 months. 

He was discovered to have 2.2kgs of cocaine and greater than £17,000 in money stashed round his residence when he was arrested there in the summertime of 2020. 

Prada branded cocaine packages from EncroChat. Four men who sold cocaine worth more than ?5.6m have been jailed after a West Midlands Regional Organised Crime Unit (ROCUWM) investigation. See SWNS story SWMDprada. Vikram Virdee, Dean Riley and Richard Yarker were the key players in a group that sold large amounts of class A drugs. The three have been jailed alongside Karl McQuillan who delivered drugs and collected cash from locations around the UK including Worcester, Wales, Gloucestershire and Nottingham. A fifth man was sentenced in August 2020. The group operated partially on EncroChat, the encrypted mobile phone network which was shut down in June 2020. Their large-scale drug supply operation was initially uncovered as part of Operation Venetic ? the UK-wide investigation into EncroChat, led by the National Crime Agency (NCA). The operation revealed some of the group?s conversations and started a huge operation conducted by investigators in the West Midlands. Over six kilograms of cocaine, four cars ? some with secret compartments ? and over 40 Hours of CCTV were seized during our investigation along with images the group sent each other of bundles of money and cocaine they had stamped with the designer brand name, Prada.
The group offered 56kg of sophistication A medicine across the UK (Image: West Midlands Police/SWNS)
Bundles of cash recovered by the investigation team. Four men who sold cocaine worth more than ?5.6m have been jailed after a West Midlands Regional Organised Crime Unit (ROCUWM) investigation. See SWNS story SWMDprada. Vikram Virdee, Dean Riley and Richard Yarker were the key players in a group that sold large amounts of class A drugs. The three have been jailed alongside Karl McQuillan who delivered drugs and collected cash from locations around the UK including Worcester, Wales, Gloucestershire and Nottingham. A fifth man was sentenced in August 2020. The group operated partially on EncroChat, the encrypted mobile phone network which was shut down in June 2020. Their large-scale drug supply operation was initially uncovered as part of Operation Venetic ? the UK-wide investigation into EncroChat, led by the National Crime Agency (NCA). The operation revealed some of the group?s conversations and started a huge operation conducted by investigators in the West Midlands. Over six kilograms of cocaine, four cars ? some with secret compartments ? and over 40 Hours of CCTV were seized during our investigation along with images the group sent each other of bundles of money and cocaine they had stamped with the designer brand name, Prada.
They despatched one another photographs and movies exhibiting large wads of money (Image: West Midlands Police/SWNS)

Yarker, of Corley Ash, Warwickshire, who was on licence on the time of the offences following a conviction for supplying cocaine in 2012, was jailed for 15 years. 

The court docket heard police discovered 3kg of cocaine and £25,000 in money at his residence. 

Riley and Yarker additionally each pleaded responsible to possession with intent to produce class A medicine and the acquisition, use and possession of felony property. 

Drug runner McQuillan, of Whoberley in Coventry, was jailed for eight years three months. 

A fifth member of the gang, who was recruited by McQuillan to construct secret compartments inside a Vauxhall Insignia, was jailed for 4 years and eight months in 2020. 

He was arrested in South Wales in Could 2020 for transporting 1kg of cocaine. 

Following the sentencing, Detective Chief Inspector Leanne Lowe, mentioned: ‘This was a fancy investigation by which we labored by way of plenty of proof; conversations, photographs and CCTV footage in addition to cell phone knowledge to piece collectively what these males have been doing and the way they have been related to 1 one other. 

‘Not solely have we disrupted a sequence of provide, however we've additionally eliminated an enormous amount of medicine.’

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