The five men were sentenced today at Aylesbury Crown Court for drug offences after an investigation under the Thames Valley Police Stronghold campaign.
At 7am on Friday 2 February, police conducted a warrant at a property in Huntley Crescent, Campbell Park, Milton Keynes where they found supplies of cocaine and heroin and a large amount of cash.
Four men were arrested at the address:
- Phillip Cole, aged 26, of no fixed abode
- Mukhtar Abbasheikh, aged 22, of Rowton Heath, Oakhill, Milton Keynes
- Robert Tyler, aged 23, of no fixed abode
- Robert Squillace, aged 23, of Gramwell, Shenley Church End, Milton Keynes
All four men were charged on 3 February.
Officers then executed another warrant on 23 May in Alpha House, Northampton, where a fifth man, Ahmed Ali, aged 25, of no fixed abode, was arrested and charged the same day.
The street value of drugs seized over both warrants came to more than £17,700, and £4,200 cash was also obtained.
Cole, Abbasheikh, Ali and Tyler all pleaded guilty to four counts: conspiracy to supply cocaine, crack cocaine, heroin and cannabis.
Squillace pleaded not guilty to the same charges but was found guilty following a three week trial at Aylesbury Crown Court on 3 July.
All five were given custodial sentences at the same crown court on Tuesday (10/7) as follows:
- Cole was sentenced to five years and three months
- Abbasheikh was sentenced to five years and three months
- Ali was sentenced to five years and four months
- Squillace was sentenced to six and a half years
- Tyler was sentenced to three years and five months
Officer in the case, Detective Constable Sarah Clement, of the Milton Keynes Investigation Hub Stronghold team, said: “This sentencing is a great result and demonstrates the robust approach that we and the courts take in protecting our communities from these organised crime groups.
“One of the more disturbing aspects of this investigation was that this callous group of men had deliberately set up in a premises which allowed them easy access to target those most vulnerable persons of our community.
“Operation Stronghold is the name given to all our activity in the pursuit, prevention, protection and preparation against the work of organised crime gangs in our region and we continue to work hard in partnership with other emergency services and local authorities to disrupt this organised criminal activity and safeguard those most at risk from them.”
