Tony Singh Hare (left) and associate Amerjit Singh Johal

Tony Singh Hare was found guilty of drug trafficking, conspiracy to supply Class A drugs and fraud.

Leicester Crown Court heard how 37-year-old Hare, from Loughborough Road in Leicester, was the major player behind a drug trafficking ring organising supplies of heroin, ecstasy and cannabis.

The drugs were supplied to dealers in Scotland, North East England, Nottingham and Derby.

Devastating effects

Hare and his eight associates were convicted following a year long investigation by the special operations unit.

Codenamed Operation Trolley, police targeted the group securing convictions for trafficking, conspiracy to supply class A drugs and manufacturing fraudulent credit cards.

Nine members of the group, including Hare, were sentenced to a total of 135 years imprisonment.

Detective Superintendent Bob Small, head of the Special Operations Unit, said: "The sentencing in this case reflects how the courts are responding to the concerns in society about the devastating effects drug trafficking is having on our communities."

His associates were: Amerjit Singh Johal, 35, of Wavertree Drive, Leicester, sentenced to 19 years imprisonment; Timothy Hubert Abbott, 39, of Bloomfield Road, Leicester sentenced to 21 years; Jaswinder Singh Nain, 37, from Leicester, sentenced to nine years.

Also 33-year-old Christopher Wiley of Hardwick Estate, Kirton, Boston, Lincolnshire, who was sentenced to 12-and-a-half years; Gurbashan Singh Gill, 35, of Wellington Road, Bilston, West Bromwich, sentenced to seven years imprisonment; Colin Noble, 30, from Darlington, sentenced to nine years; David Andrews, 34, from Darlington, who was sentenced to five years imprisonment.

Sukhjevean Singh Rai, 32, from Derby, was handed a four-and-a-half year prison sentence.