logo
Exeter drug trafficker's sentence increased

Exeter drug trafficker's sentence increased

BBC News06-06-2025
A drug trafficker has had his prison sentence extended after the Court of Appeal deemed his initial punishment too lenient.Stephen Wills, 36, from Bridford, Exeter, was sentenced to nine years in prison in March for his role in two organised crime groups that trafficked large quantities of cocaine across the country. However his sentence was increased to 14 years on Thursday after a referral under the Unduly Lenient Sentence scheme by Solicitor General Lucy Rigby.Wills was convicted at Exeter Crown Court of conspiracy to supply and possession with intent to supply Class A and B drugs, as well as possession of a prohibited firearm.
The court heard that between 2019 and 2020, Wills operated from a rented farmhouse, using outbuildings to store and package cocaine and cultivate cannabis. He was linked to a London-based foreign crime group supplying drugs to dealers in Exeter.Police arrested Wills on 1 May 2020 after stopping his vehicle. A search of his property uncovered firearms, ammunition, and more than £46,000 worth of cocaine.Wills, who has 33 previous convictions, including firearm offences, had been prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition since 2018. Despite this, he was convicted in 2021 for illegally possessing an air rifle and ammunition.Solicitor General Lucy Rigby said: "We know that the impact of organised crime on our communities is devastating and I welcome the court's decision to increase Wills' sentence following my intervention."Four other men have also been convicted for their roles in the gang.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Sanctions to be introduced to target people-smuggling gangs
Sanctions to be introduced to target people-smuggling gangs

The Independent

time22 minutes ago

  • The Independent

Sanctions to be introduced to target people-smuggling gangs

Gang leaders, corrupt police officers and companies selling small boat equipment for Channel crossings could face having their assets frozen and being banned from travel to the UK in efforts to curb the people-smuggling trade. The Foreign Secretary announced on Tuesday a raft of sanctions that will be introduced to target anyone involved in assisting illegal immigration to the UK. This ranges from those involved in supplying and financing small boats, fake passports, and 'middlemen' putting cash through the Hawala system, a legal money transfer system, which is also used in payments linked to Channel crossings. The first wave of sanctions comes into force on Wednesday, and will publicly name anyone sanctioned, so it will be illegal for UK businesses and banks to deal with them. The measure is expected to include more than 20 designations, and could include corrupt public officials and police officers in steps to tackle the multi-billion-dollar industry. Foreign Secretary David Lammy said: 'For too long, criminal gangs have been lining their corrupt pockets and preying on the hopes of vulnerable people with impunity as they drive irregular migration to the UK. We will not accept this status quo. 'That's why the UK has created the world's first sanctions regime targeted at gangs involved in people smuggling and driving irregular migration, as well as their enablers. 'From tomorrow, those involved will face having their assets frozen, being shut off from the UK financial system and banned from travelling to the UK.' It follows legislation being introduced under the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill to ramp up enforcement powers for police forces and partners to investigate and prosecute people smugglers. Fresh sanctions aim to target organised crime gangs wherever they are in the world and disrupt their flow of cash, including freezing bank accounts, property and other assets, to hinder their activities. Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said: 'It will allow us to target the assets and operations of people smugglers wherever they operate, cutting off their funding and dismantling their networks piece by piece. 'Through the Border Security Command and key partners like the National Crime Agency, we are strengthening our ties with other nations to tackle this global problem. 'Together, we are sending a clear message that there is no hiding place for those who exploit vulnerable people and put lives at risk for profit.'

The UK says it will sanction those who enable migrant journeys across the English Channel
The UK says it will sanction those who enable migrant journeys across the English Channel

The Independent

time22 minutes ago

  • The Independent

The UK says it will sanction those who enable migrant journeys across the English Channel

Members of people-smuggling gangs who send migrants across the English Channel in flimsy boats will face U.K. financial sanctions under measures announced Monday by the British government. The U.K. said the new powers target smugglers and those who supply them with money and equipment. Foreign Secretary David Lammy said the measures are 'the world's first sanctions regime targeted at gangs involved in people smuggling and driving irregular migration, as well as their enablers.' Those in breach of the rules can have U.K. assets seized, be barred from using British banks and be banned from entering Britain. The first sanctions under the new powers are due to be announced on Wednesday, the Foreign Office said. The government said the new rules are authorized by existing sanctions legislation. British lawmakers won't get a chance to debate them until they return from a summer break in September. Prime Minister Keir Starmer's Labour Party government has pledged to stop criminal gangs sending thousands of migrants each year on perilous journeys across one of the world's busiest shipping lanes. Starmer has said the crime gangs are a threat to global security and should be treated like terror networks. It's unclear how effective the measures will be, since British authorities can only freeze assets that are in the United Kingdom, and most of the smugglers are based elsewhere. Sanctions are one tool in an arsenal of measures that includes beefed-up U.K. border surveillance and increased law-enforcement cooperation with France and other countries. So far the moves have had little impact. Some 37,000 people crossed the channel in 2024, and more than 22,000 so far in 2025 – an increase of about 50% from the same period last year. Dozens of people have died attempting the journey.

UK launches sanctions regime targeting people-smuggling gangs
UK launches sanctions regime targeting people-smuggling gangs

Reuters

time23 minutes ago

  • Reuters

UK launches sanctions regime targeting people-smuggling gangs

LONDON, July 21 (Reuters) - Britain on Monday launched a new sanctions regime targeting people-smuggling gangs and their enablers in what the government said was the first move of its kind globally. The United Kingdom will be able to freeze assets, impose travel bans and block access to the country's financial system for individuals and entities involved in enabling irregular migration, without relying on criminal or counterterrorism laws. The regime was previously outlined by foreign minister David Lammy in January. The British government said it would complement new powers in the Border, Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill that has yet to be enacted. The Labour government of Prime Minister Keir Starmer is under pressure to meet a pledge to stop the flow of tens of thousands of people into Britain from across the Channel in small boats. "For too long, criminal gangs have been lining their corrupt pockets and preying on the hopes of vulnerable people with impunity as they drive irregular migration to the UK," British foreign minister David Lammy said in a statement. " That's why the UK has created the world's first sanctions regime targeted at gangs involved in people smuggling and driving irregular migration, as well as their enablers." The government said the measures would target those who supply small boats, fake documents and financial services used by smuggling networks. Chris Philp, in charge of the security and immigration portfolio in parliament for the main opposition Conservatives, said in a statement that it would take more to stop the crossings. "The truth is you don't stop the Channel crossings by freezing a few bank accounts in Baghdad or slapping a travel ban on a dinghy dealer in Damascus," he said. "Swathes of young men are arriving daily, in boats bought online, guided by traffickers who laugh at our laws and cash in on our weakness." Starmer has recently agreed deals with France and Germany to help stop the arrival of small boats as he tries to stem the rise of the right-wing populist Reform UK party, led by Brexit campaigner Nigel Farage.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store