Flash drugs ring used ice cream parlours and takeaways to live lavish lifestyle

Ice cream parlours, a take-away and a shed making firm have all been used by a Wigan drugs ring to launder huge sums of money made by dealing cocaine. The gang enjoyed a lavish lifestyle from their earnings - with flashy cars and designer clothes - until they were rumbled by police and brought to justice.

Seven men were jailed at Bolton Crown Court yesterday (May 18) for their roles in the conspiracy, which was brought down by anti-gang cops. Following a six-week trial, the group will serve a combined seven decades behind bars, while the wife of one of the men has also been handed a suspended prison sentence.

During the trial, the court was told about a police investigation codenamed Operation Trinket, used to uncover an organised criminal drug supply network in Wigan. Specialist staff carried out a period of intensive surveillance, before officers raided properties across the borough on the morning of July 20, 2018.

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They included the homes of Paul Witter and his wife Jane Witter, Marc Talbot, his brother Michael Talbot, and Marc's son Cameron Talbot. The group were all arrested on suspicion of being involved in a conspiracy to supply cocaine and money laundering.

Hundreds of items were seized for examination - including quantities of drugs, cash, mobile phones and SIM cards, along with hundreds-of-thousands of pounds' worth of assets seized under Proceeds of Crime Act powers. These included high value designer clothing, jewellery and prestige vehicles.

Yet despite the lavish lifestyles some of the suspects enjoyed - funded by their illegal activity - they were declaring very little in the way of