DRUG dealers from the North-East and Merseyside who supplied cocaine and cannabis on a large scale have been jailed for over 30 years.

Six people were sentenced at Newcastle Crown Court today (Monday, April 25) after operations by Northumbria Police's Priorities and Organised Crime Team and Durham Constabulary's Serious Crime Unit.

Operation Zurich ran from October to December 2012 investigating a gang thought to be establishing cannabis farms capable of producing more than 25 kilos a year in Sunderland and Houghton-le-Spring.

A warrant was carried out in December 2012 which led to the arrest of Anthony Willcock and Paul Dodds and a 1kg block of 76 per cent pure cocaine, potentially worth hundreds of thousands of pounds, was recovered.

Operation Bolder was launched earlier this year to tie in with the investigation and today six people were put behind bars.

Detective Chief Inspector Paul Knox, of Northumbria Police, said: "This has been a complex but very carefully managed investigation and the team has done a brilliant job of getting these men before the courts.

"Tackling organised crime is a priority for the force and by taking these people off the streets will, in turn, keep their drugs off our streets too.”

Anthony Willcock, 43, of Woodside, Shadforth, County Durham, Paul Dodds, 52, of Hepburn Grove, Sunderland, were both sentenced to seven-and-a-half years following convictions for conspiracy to supply class A cocaine and conspiracy to produce class B cannabis earlier this year.

Kate Bruce, 29, of Lambton Drive, Hetton-le Hole, was given three years for conspiracy to supply class A cocaine.

Lee Stokoe, 44, of Purley, Pattinson, Washington, got six years nine months, for conspiracy to produce class B cannabis.

Duncan Miller, 35, of Vauxhall Road, Liverpool, and Paul Craggs, 33 of Wedgewood Gardens, St Helens, Merseyside, were given three years for conspiracy to produce class B cannabis.

DCI Knox said: “I hope this serves as a warning to other crime groups and those involved in any sort of drugs crimes. We are watching and will be making more arrests in the future.

"We know who these people are and our team continue to carry out covert operations to ensure offenders are stopped in their tracks."