Drugs gang caught with £40k of ecstasy pills disguised as cat food after ex-GMP worker warning

A drugs gang who had not been involved in crime before have been jailed for flooding Manchester's streets with drugs after a £40k package of MDMA was seized at the border. Further investigations discovered that a former GMP employee had tried to warn the gang they were being investigated.

Police raided a property on Dale View in Denton on November 21, 2019 following the discovery of the package. Border Force intercepted a parcel for 'S Dowling' from the Netherlands in October for 8 Dale View.

The package, disguised as cat food, was found to contain MDMA tablets with a street value of more than £40,000, Minshull Crown Court heard in a two day hearing. Prosecuting, Adrian Farrow, said that the Dale View property was rented by Pearce Dowling, 26, who used his middle name beginning with 'S' to try and hide his identity, with the rent being paid for by another defendant, Charlie Jacob, 25.

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After this package for Dowling was intercepted by border force, the Dale View property was raided, with Dowling and co-defendant Callum Hindle, 26, at the property at the time. 28 cannabis plants were found in the property, with electricity diverted from the meter to conceal it.

Another defendant, Abby Latham, 22, was arrested with Jacob on December 23 2019 on suspicion of assisting an offender. Latham was working for GMP on the reception of the Great Manchester Police Digital Investigation Unit, but was under investigation in connection with this work.

Her work involved the booking in and out of electronic devices which had been seized for examination. Colleagues had noticed her taking an interest in how Snapchat messages could be retrieved