Seventh man jailed for involvement in Gosport Class A Drugs conspiracy

A seventh man has been jailed for five years for his involvement in a class A drugs conspiracy in Gosport, bringing the total tally of jail terms to 48 years.

Officers from Hampshire Constabulary’s Serious and Organised Crime Unit investigated the supply of heroin and crack cocaine over a period of eight months, between 1 September 2018 and 1 May 2019.

During this period, officers seized drugs with an estimated street value of £275,000, and cash in the region of £74,500.

Today (Friday 23 July) Jack Zachary Darvill, aged 22 years, of Londesborough Road in Southsea, was jailed for five years, having pleaded guilty to two counts of conspiracy to supply Class A drugs at Portsmouth Crown Court on Monday 22 February this year.

The following people were previously jailed on 26 March this year, for a combined total of 43 years, for their involvement in the conspiracy.

• Liam Whitnell, aged 37 years, formerly of HMP Dovegate. He pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to supply Class A drugs at Portsmouth Crown Court on Monday 1 March this year. He was jailed for 9 years.
• Rayhaan Hoque, aged 38 years, of Woolmore Street in Tower Hamlets, London. On Tuesday 23 March 2021, he was convicted of two counts of conspiracy to supply Class A drugs following a trial at Portsmouth Crown Court. He was jailed for 10 years.
• Luke Alan Goldsmith, aged 28 years, of Rambler Drive in Gosport. He pleaded guilty to two counts of conspiracy to supply Class A drugs at Portsmouth Crown Court on Monday 22 February this year. He was jailed for 6 years.
• John Edward Parham, aged 33 years, of The Crossways in Gosport. He pleaded guilty to two counts of conspiracy to supply Class A drugs at Portsmouth Crown Court on Monday 22 February this year. He was jailed for 6 years.
• Lance Burt, aged 22 years, of Bury Hall Lane in Gosport. He pleaded guilty to two counts of conspiracy to supply Class A drugs at Portsmouth Crown Court on Monday 22 February this year. He was sentenced to three years for these offences, and a further two years for the charges of possession with intent to supply Class A drugs and acquiring criminal property, relating to offences committed on 30 April 2020.
• Jacob James, aged 26 years, of Briar Close in Gosport. He pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to supply Class A drugs, and one count of possession of criminal property, at Portsmouth Crown Court on Monday 1 March this year. He was jailed for 7 years.

Portsmouth Crown Court heard previously how the drugs operation was led by Liam Whitnell from his prison cell at HMP Dovegate where he managed to use illicit mobile phones to ensure the gang were active and collecting the Class A drugs for onward supply to vulnerable users.

During the police investigation, officers recovered mobile phones which identified that arrangements were made on 23 occasions for members of the group based in Hampshire to travel to London to meet Rayhaan Hoque where the drugs were collected.

The police investigation also identified 18 occasions where Hoque had travelled to Hampshire. Drugs were then distributed in Hampshire by Goldsmith, Burt, Darvill, Parham and James.