Seven men were sentenced at Ipswich Crown Court on February 17, 2026, after a police investigation shut down a major drug network operating across Ipswich, Suffolk.
Michael Harty and Dean Yule were identified as the primary leaders, receiving jail sentences of 12 years and 10 years respectively. According to the Suffolk Constabulary, officers seized cocaine worth an estimated £1.5 million from a property in Brentwood linked to the group.
The group ran three cannabis factories, including one on Waterloo Road with 705 plants and another on Lavender Hill with 230 plants. A third site in rural Crowfield contained 120 plants, while police also searched a boat at the Ipswich Marina and units at the Woodfarm Business Centre during raids on July 1, 2025.
One man, Hoang Hai, was found to have been forced into tending the plants at the Waterloo Road factory and was sentenced separately in 2025. Other men sentenced this week included Robin Southgate, who received over four years for his role in site management, and Tuan Nguyen, who was sentenced to 30 months.
DC Chris Townrow from the Serious and Organised Crime Unit noted that the group exploited vulnerable people to run their operations. The investigation used surveillance and undercover tactics to remove the network from the local community.
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