Gang ferried drugs using ‘thank you NHS’ van during lockdown

A drug gang has been jailed for almost 100 years after using a government Covid loan to fund more than 100kg of heroin and cocaine.

The gang even used a “Thank You NHS” van to transport the Class A drugs without being detected during the pandemic lockdown.

The group of 10 men who have been jailed supplied more than 100kg of mainly heroin and cocaine across the West Midlands.

Working during the height of the Covid pandemic in 2020, the West Bromwich crime group made over £1.5m.

Two of the men in the group were granted government-backed ‘Covid loans’ which they then reinvested into their drugs empire.

All 10 of the men involved appeared at Leicester Crown Court on Friday and pleaded guilty to drugs offences, including conspiracy to supply Class A drugs.

Kamaljit Singh Chahal, 52, was handed 18 years in prison while 25-year-old Bhipon Chahal was given 14 years and 43-year-old Matthias Tulloch 12 years.

Sandeep Johal, 32, was told to serve 11 years behind bars as was 41-year-old Miquel Lewin-Miller. Aaron Williams, 43, was handed a 10-and-a-half year jail sentence and Robert Wesley, 39, was jailed for nine years.

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Alan Moore-Caswell, 42, was handed a jail term of four years two months while 25-year-old Sandeep Singh will serve three years nine months as will 26-year-old Hitesh Salhotra.

In a statement, West Midlands police said: “The gang was led by Kamaljit Chahal, from Sutton Coldfield, and his nephew Bhipon Chahal, from Great Barr. They used a network of couriers and facilitators including Miguel Lewin Miller and Matthias Tulloch and communicated using encrypted devices.

“These devices were used to distribute cocaine on a commercial scale by the group who were eventually brought down by police following a complex investigation.

“To avoid detection it was Tulloch who used an NHS emblazoned van to carry out his criminal activities and taking advantage of the Covid pandemic. Investigators also identified that both Kamaljit Chahal and Wesley applied for and were given Government backed ‘COVID loans’ which they shockingly reinvested into the drugs trade.”

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Detectives caught the gang after running a covert investigation into the group which was named Op Igneous. They seized chat messages from the Chahal crime group between 26 March and 5 June, 2020.

The encrypted devices were used by the Chahal crime group to openly discuss the management and delivery of multi kilogram quantities of Class A drugs across the UK.

Chief inspector Peter Cooke, from the West Midlands Regional Organised Crime Unit, said “This was a significant Class A drugs operation which was being operated during the Covid pandemic.

“This is part of our ongoing work to destroy drug networks across the West Midlands and this will carry on as part of Op Target.

“We’re focused on those thought to be involved in the highest levels of organised crime across our region. These men will now be spending nearly 100 years behind bars in total. It sends out a clear warning to others intent on supplying Class A drugs – we simply won’t tolerate it.”