Gang member ordered to pay £8k after £7m heroin plot

A member of an organised crime gang involved in a £7 million heroin conspiracy has been ordered to pay £8,000 despite benefiting by £16,000 from his criminal activities.

Jeffrey Hickson, 62, from Blyth, Northumberland, was part of a sophisticated drug trafficking network that was exposed following the dramatic arrest of former police officer Steven Creasey in Scotland.

Creasey, 67, from Cardiff, was stopped by police in Fife on 12 May 2022 after driving from Cardiff to Liverpool and then up to Scotland. A drugs dog discovered a professionally installed hide under the passenger seat of his car containing 5kg of heroin and 1kg of adulterant.

A burner phone found in Creasey’s possession led investigators to uncover other members of the organised crime group based in Liverpool.

The subsequent investigation, named Operation Solon and led by Tarian, revealed that Creasey was a Cardiff-based professional courier working for the Liverpool OCG leadership.

Christopher Brannan, 38, and Stephen Hopkins, 59, collected wholesale amounts of heroin which was then distributed across the UK by multiple couriers including Creasey, Kevin Thomson, 45, and Hickson. Brannan laundered the profits through his partner Kirsty Murphy’s bank account.

Raids carried out at properties in Cardiff, Liverpool, Scotland and Northumberland towards the end of 2022 uncovered expensive jewellery, heroin, cocaine, adulterants, opium, cannabis and metal moulds for pressing powder into blocks.

Hickson, of Brewery Street, Blyth, was convicted on 7 February 2024 for conspiracy to supply heroin and sentenced to 10 years and four months in prison.

A Proceeds of Crime hearing at Cardiff Crown Court on 19 December heard that Hickson benefited to the tune of £16,706 but only has assets worth £8,861.

Judge Lucy Crowther ordered the defendant to pay that sum within three months or serve an additional four months imprisonment in default.