Members of 'sophisticated' organised crime gang used encrypted phones to distribute 15kg of cocaine around Leeds

Matthew Manners, 43, of Gilcar Way in Castleford, and Benjamin Connor, 29, of Alderton Crescent in Leeds, used “sophisticated mechanisms” to source and distribute at least 15kg of cocaine.

The two men were both sentenced at Leeds Crown Court on Tuesday (June 28) after both pleading guilty to conspiracy to supply Class A drugs.

For the prosecution, Robert Stevenson said that Manners was a “key member” of the organised crime group and that Connor was his “trusted associate”.

Manners had a “leading role” and used encrypted mobile phones as part of the “highly sophisticated operation” to organise the purchase and distribution of large amounts of cocaine. Connor – who it was accepted operated as a “courier” for the gang – would pick up and move the drugs on Manners’ behalf.

Police arrested the two men after infiltrating the text messages. Connor was arrested first on July 15, 2020, and found with 3kg of cocaine. The drugs had an 84 per cent purity, which indicated they were purchased “close to the source”.

Manners was arrested on September 9, 2020, and incriminating evidence was found on the mobile phones that were seized.

The two men were charged with distributing drugs in Leeds and across the north of England between March and September 2020, though it was believed that Manners had been part of the operation for some time before this.

It was agreed that the two men had been involved with the purchase and distribution of 15kg worth of cocaine.

They were part of a “network of contacts” across the country and it was heard that other highly ranked members of the group had previously been sentenced to over 20 years in prison.

Representing Manners, Matthew Harding said that his client had been a “model prisoner” since he had been remanded in custody and shown a “desire to reform”. For Connor, Kara Firth said that her client became involved in the organisation after losing his job during the pandemic.

Recorder A Serr said: sentenced Manners to 12 years imprisonment and Connor to two years on top of a six year sentence that he was already serving for an offence relating to the same events.