Operation Bellbrook was an operation targeting a gang of heroin traffickers in the Coventry area. It resulted in the arrest of 4 men and the seizure of 15 kilos of heroin with a street value of between £600,000 and £1.5 million. A loaded handgun and a quantity of cocaine were also recovered. The operation was carried out over a number of months in 2005 by the Regional Task Force and resulted in the conviction of 4 men last year at Coventry Crown Court. They were;
Lincoln Vassell, 37 years, of Rushmoor Drive, Coventry, who the Judge described as the organiser of the criminal enterprise. He received a total of 13 years imprisonment for two counts of conspiracy to supply drugs and possessing a loaded firearm and cocaine.
His brother, Craig Vassell, 37 years old was described as the ‘banker’ of the organisation and was jailed for 4 ½ years for money laundering offences after police discovered over 25 bank and building society accounts in his name which contained over £400,000 cash. The Midlands Regional Asset Recovery Team [RART- part of the Regional Task Force] were able to quickly restrain the bank accounts to prevent any of the ‘dirty money’ being dissipated. In addition, police officers from the Regional Task Force, whilst searching his home address in Swanage Green, Willenhall, Coventry, found a suitcase, which contained exactly £160,000 cash. This cash has already been forfeited having been proved as being the proceeds of crime.
Steven Sealey, 37 years old of Shelley Court, Longfellow road, Stoke, Coventry received 3 ½ years imprisonment for his role as a street dealer.
Neville Gordon , 48 years of Lyndale road, Whobberley, Coventry acted as the warehouseman with the drugs and gun being found at his flat. He was sentenced to 6 years imprisonment.
At Coventry Crown Court Judge Patrick Eccles ruled that Craig Vassell's total benefit in this case was £290,060, with £287,423 available for confiscation.
That must be paid within six months or he faces a further three years' imprisonment.
It was ruled that Sealey's total benefit from the proceeds of crime was £100,000, with the realisable amount of £18,000 to be paid back within six months.
He faces a further 12 months' imprisonment if it is not paid.
The total benefit in Lincoln Vassell's case was £635,296, with £4,500 available for confiscation.
That must be paid within six months or he will face a further three months in prison.
Craig Vassell had claimed that around £40,000 was used to pay off his mortgage and a further £10,000 represented legitimate life savings.
But this was disputed by prosecutor Malcolm Morse, who told the court that Craig Vassell's average legitimate earnings since 1999 had been around £24,000 a year.
He said: "The amount of money rolling around is absolutely unaccountable for the sort of wages Mr Vassell was earning. He is claiming that over the course of time he was able to put aside £50,000. In a real economic world that is impossible."
The total amount confiscated from the gang, including the earlier cash seizure, is over £469,000.
The Regional Asset Recovery Team had moved quickly to restrain all of the criminal proceeds meaning that the confiscation orders should quickly be enforced and all of the money paid into central funds within a very short period of time.