Four members of a British organized crime gang, led by 80-year-old John Eric Spivey, have been sentenced to nearly 50 years in prison for their involvement in a large-scale firearms and drug operation in Wigan, England. The group was found guilty of manufacturing and supplying counterfeit diazepam tablets, among other charges.
Despite winning £2.4 million in the lottery in 2010, Spivey continued to engage in crime, with the gang’s operation estimated to have a street value of £288 million. They utilized a facility behind Spivey’s home equipped for high-volume pill production and stored millions of pills in rented containers. The operation, involving sophisticated firearms and counterfeit drug manufacturing, was exposed through various investigations, including social media monitoring.
The other gang members, John Spivey Jr., Callum Dorian, and Lee Ryan Drury, received sentences ranging from 9 to 12 years. Authorities emphasized that organized crime will not be tolerated and affirmed their commitment to dismantling such operations.
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