Fifteen members of two gangs have been jailed for conspiring to supply drugs with a street value of about £1.2m.
The 12 men from Preston and three from Liverpool were all sentenced over three days at Preston Crown Court.
The heads of the two gangs were behind the supply of cocaine and heroin, couriered from Liverpool to Preston.
Police said they hid mixing agents for the drugs in “rural hides” on land between the Callon estate and Fishwick Golf Club in Preston.
The head of the Preston gang, Anthony Watkins, and the head of the Liverpool gang, Michael Dineley, were the organisers behind the supply of the drugs, police said.
Once the arrangements had been made between the two men, the drugs were then couriered to Preston from Merseyside by Stephen Foster and David Mochrie.
11-month inquiry
The men were jailed for a range of offences including conspiracy to supply Class A drugs, possession of firearms and ammunition and assisting an offender.
It followed an 11-month investigation into the supply of heroin and cocaine on the streets of Preston.
The drugs would be brought into Preston where text messages would be sent from dealers to contacts stored in their phones.
Det Insp Pete Danby said: “These individuals caused significant problems on the streets of Preston.
“I hope the fact that these men have now been jailed reassures local residents that we are committed to tackling organised crime on this scale.”
The gang members have been identified as:
- Anthony Watkins, 28, of no fixed address, conspiracy to supply a Class A drug – cocaine and heroin – 12 years in prison.
- Matthew Botham, 20, of no fixed address, conspiracy to supply cocaine and heroin – four years and eight months.
- Daniel McGuinness, 26, of no fixed address, conspiracy to supply cocaine and heroin – five years and two months.
- Mark Watkins, 24, Waldon Street, Preston, conspiracy to supply a Class A drug – cocaine – six years and nine months.
- Michael Dineley, 27, of Ellerman Road, Liverpool, conspiracy to supply cocaine – nine years.
- David Mochrie, 39, of West Road, Prenton, Liverpool, conspiracy to supply cocaine – and two counts of possession of a firearm and possession of ammunition – nine years and four months.
- Stephen Foster, 27, of Lapwing Close, Liverpool, conspiracy to supply cocaine – five years and four months.
- A 17-year-old from Preston, who cannot be named because of his age, conspiracy to supply crack cocaine and heroin – three years one month.
- Wayne Small, 47, of New Hall Lane, Preston, conspiracy to supply crack cocaine and heroin – five years.
- Joshua Knowles, 19, of Gamull Lane, Preston, conspiracy to supply crack cocaine and heroin – four years and four months.
- Jason Jackson, 26, of no fixed address, conspiracy to supply crack cocaine and heroin, possession of ammunition without a certificate and an affray – six years and six months.
- Ryan Blakey, 18, of Akinson Street, Preston, conspiracy to supply crack cocaine and heroin – three years and four months.
- Kasib Hussain, 35, of Burrow Road, Preston, conspiracy to supply cocaine and heroin – eight years and one month.
- James Wilkinson, 27, of Cotty Brook Close, Preston sentenced to 12 months for assisting an offender.
- Sam Knowles, 20, of Gamull Lane, Preston, conspiracy to supply crack and heroin, possession with intent to supply crack cocaine and heroin, assault and possession of an offensive weapon – six years and six months.
