Police Interceptors pull over courier targeting trans-Pennine drugs gang

Joanne Cooke was caught with £70,000 worth of cocaine and cannabis stashed in the boot of her car when her Kia was pulled over on the A19 at Crathorne, near Yarm.

The 36-year-old’s arrest led to the collapse of a drug-supply network, which spanned the Pennies, as dealers based in Liverpool made at least 75 trips to Teesside to flood the area with cocaine.

All the action was caught on camera as the popular Channel 5 television show was out on patrol with Cleveland Police in April 2016.

Cooke, of Trentham Avenue, Liverpool was jailed for four years and eight months, for her role as a trusted courier for the drugs gang.

Drugs recovered from Joanne Cooke's car

Teesside Crown Court heard that there was a flurry of mobile phone contact between people on both sides of the Pennines in the wake of her arrest.

Today, members of the Teesside operation were jailed after 16 people faced justice during a two-day sentencing hearing.

Richard Omar, who was at the top of the organisation on Teesside, was jailed for 16 years for his role in supplying cocaine and cannabis across the area.

Christopher Martin, who was caught trying to flush drugs down the toilet when police raided his home, was jailed for seven years and four months.

Yesterday, drug kingpin Dennis Dawrant Jnr, of Liverpool, was jailed for 12 years.

And Cooke, whose arrest led to all the convictions, was jailed for four years and eight months.

The full story from yesterday’s hearing is here.

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