A bite from McDonald’s for breakfast was a turning point for a U.K. gang transporting drugs.
Christopher Reeve, 44-year-old gang leader, is now being locked up for 17 years due to the breakfast choice bringing the gang operations to a halt. Prior to the arrest, he spearheaded the operations by moving drugs from Merseyside to the Midlands.
Reeve arranged the supply from Liverpool and West Lancashire in collaboration with his partner Sarah Reeve, who filled in for him when he wasn’t able to do so.
Garvey Thompson assisted in controlling the supply line into Warwickshire using a phone from jail. Police had evidence to believe that Thompson worked with Christopher Reeve to control the route between October 2017 and September 2018.
Christopher Reeve and Thompsom had a network of couriers to coordinate supply runs across county borders. Officers investigated phone records that revealed more than 14,000 communication exchanges between Reeve and the other involved parties. Most of the discussions revolved around drug runs. The phone records were vital in exposing the other people involved in the operation.
On August 3, 2018, Sarah Reeve and Mowat, one of the drug couriers, left Liverpool with three kilograms of high-purity cocaine in their car. Officers discovered a CCTV of them turning into McDonald’s for breakfast and passing through the M6 toll road.
Police intervened by stopping the car on the A5 and seizing the drugs, which led to the arrest of both of them. The phone that was seized from the duo revealed Reeve had been behind the delivery.
The following month, officers carried out a warrant in Sturdee Close, Daventry, Northamptonshire, in the residence that belonged to Caroline Dalley. Police discovered “877g of heroin, 4.15kg of cocaine, 13kg of amphetamine, 20kg of cannabis resin, 6049 ecstasy tablets, 896g of MDMA and 378g of crack cocaine.” The street value of these drugs totals $1,034,000.
In the court proceeding, a judge spoke about the gang carrying out 60 kilograms of class A drugs during a five-year period.
Detective Sergeant Sarah Wolsey from Warwickshire Police said: “This was a long and complex investigation that has helped to bring down a major drug supply network worth millions of pounds. We took out criminals at every level of this sophisticated operation; from the top man, Christopher Reeve, to the runners who were doing his dirty work on the streets.
“The result was thanks to the dedication of everyone involved who worked tirelessly to secure evidence and bring these dangerous offenders to justice. They never lost focus on their role in protecting people from harm and reducing the detrimental impact of drugs and violence in our communities.”
Law enforcement was relieved to wrap up the lengthy investigation and the fast food chain played a key role in getting this case to the finish line. McDonald’s might be perfect for fighting crooks along with fighting hunger.