Police have dismantled a gang made up of semi-professional footballers who plotted to supply cocaine with an estimated street value of £260 million.
Among the six was a former player for Margate FC with the group jailed for a combined 100 years for their part in the conspiracy.
All had pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing to conspiracy to supply controlled class A drugs (cocaine) and conspiracy to supply controlled class B drugs (ketamine).
The investigation was by the Metropolitan Police and PC Perry, from Specialist Crime North, said: “This is a criminal group who had otherwise promising careers – semi-pro footballers with other jobs and courses they were undertaking.
“But they were motivated by making money from drugs that fuel misery and violence on our streets.
“The operation we’ve dismantled here is not some minor undertaking, involving a group of chancers – this is a highly organised criminal group who were supplying drugs on an industrial scale throughout the UK.”
One of the defendants was Melchi Emanuel-Williamson, 29, of Wesley Avenue, North Acton, London, whose final jail sentence was 14 years.
He had played for Margate twice in the 2013/14 season with one appearance as a substitute.
The other five in the gang, mostly Londoners, ended up with jail sentences of 13 to 24 years.
Shaquille Hippolyte-Patrick, 29 , of Delgarno Gardens, North Kensington, got 18 years and nine months and Jamarl Joseph, 28 , of Lily Gardens, Wembley ended up being sentenced to 17 years and six months.
Andrew Harewood, 34, of Woodhurst Road, North Acton, received 16 years and one month and Luke Skeete, 36, of Evergreen Drive, West Drayton was locked up for 13 years and one month.
The sixth member was Adam Pepara, 35, of Wharf Lane, Solihull, West Midlands, who was given the longest sentence of 24 years.
The Met says the online group chats demonstrated and evidenced a sophisticated, professional business model the members were operating to supply cocaine through the UK.
Detectives spent countless hours examining CCTV which showed the gang coming and going from the storage unit with drugs concealed in holdalls and boxes.
It was found that between April 10 and October 20, 2022, they had all conspired to supply in excess of 2.7 tonnes of high-grade cocaine with an estimated street value of £208.1m to £260.2m.
Last September 28, specialist crime officers carried out arrest warrants at addresses linked to the group.
All of the individuals in question were located arrested, charged and remanded in custody.
They were sentenced at Isleworth Crown Court in West London on May 17.
