UPDATE: |’He did not know the detail of what was happening… he has destroyed his life by his stupidity’ News

Gary Gittins and Mark Knowles have been jailed

Two men warehoused millions of pounds worth of cocaine at their homes in Greater Manchester homes for more senior criminals as part of a massive £53m UK-wide supply plot.

The roles played in the huge plot by Gary Gittins, 43, and Mark Knowles, 41, were exposed after police seized 1kg of the class A drug from a street dealer in the Lake District in February 2023.

After that dealer was detained, detectives made further arrests and amassed a wealth of evidence which showed that vast quantities of cocaine were being trafficked into the UK by boat from abroad.

Trusted couriers would collect the imported consignments and transport them to safe houses, many in the Greater Manchester area. Cocaine would then be distributed to towns and cities across England, Scotland and Wales for onward sale to street users.

Hundreds of kilos of cocaine, potentially about £53 million worth, were traded during a conspiracy which ran for 15-months. Last March, nine men from the Greater Manchester, Lancashire and Cheshire areas were handed prison sentences totalling more than 100 years for conspiracy to supply cocaine. A 10th was handed a 15-year jail term later in 2024.

And at Carlisle Crown Court today (April 11), Gittins and Knowles, both from Wigan, faced justice after they admitted the cocaine supply plot charge.

‘This was a cocaine safe house’

Huge amounts of cocaine — and cash generated by the dealing — was stored by Gittins, prosecutor Tim Evans said.

His postcode was “trusted” by others involved in the conspiracy who made almost two dozen deliveries, and it was estimated that cocaine potentially worth more than £17.5million had left the house.

A police drugs expert had concluded in Gittins’ case: “In simple terms this location could in effect be viewed as a transport hub used to facilitate the distribution of cocaine between the point of importation and local markets through onward distribution by couriers, along with the movement of money back up the supply chain.”

Mr Evans said that Knowles’ home had effectively been a “cocaine safe house and onward distribution centre” linked to one of several organised crime groups involved. Around £7.7 million worth of the class A drug was delivered to Knowles’ home, in total, on three separate dates.

“Knowles knowingly acted a warehouseman for very significant quantities of cocaine, and cocaine was plainly subdivided from the original importation quantities for onward distribution at his home address,” said the prosecutor.

Gittins’s barrister, Julian Nutter said he was a valued member of staff for an energy firm whose bosses were keeping the job open for him.

“There is a letter (from Gittins),” Mr Nutter told Judge Nicholas Barker, “setting out his remorse — and how stupid he has been”.

“He was a willing conspirator. He did not know the detail of what was happening,” said the barrister, stressing that Gittins had no importation knowledge or input. “He has destroyed his life by his stupidity.”

Mr Nutter added: “Now he is deeply ashamed of what he has done and the role he has played. He has done everything he can to pay society back.”

Rebecca Penfold, defending Knowles, said he like Gittins was a man of previous good character.

Of Knowles’ criminal conduct, Ms Penfold said: “He is, in my submission, acting under direction at all times. He is clearly a warehouser.”

In September last year, Knowles suffered a stroke which left him with a cognitive impairment, on lifelong medication and suffering a range of symptoms. “A full recovery is unlikely,” said Ms Penfold. “Custody is likely to exacerbate his condition.”

A number of positive character references were provided on his behalf, including one from a magistrate. Gittins, of Woodland Avenue, Hindley Green, also admitted possessing cannabis with intent to supply having also run a small dealing operation. He was handed a seven-and-a-half year prison sentence.

Knowles, of Prestwich Street, Atherton, was handed a term of four years 10 months.

Passing sentence, Judge Barker said of the overall plot: “It was a significant and widescale dealing operation which had many parts and many actors.“