
Six people have been jailed for their part in an international drug operation after a bag of cannabis was discovered in a spare tyre.
The men were sentenced at Manchester Crown Square, Crown Court for a collective 31 years after importing cannabis from Spain and conveying these drugs into prison.
As part of the investigation police arrested one of the suspects after he was seen attempting to transfer cannabis into HMP Forest Bank from a park opposite the prison.
Officers found an abandoned bag, which contained a drone, socks full of cannabis, mobile phones and two bags of pills.
Two other members of the gang were stopped after returning from Barcelona by Border Force Officers. Bags of cannabis were found in the boot and around the spare wheel.
Detective Sergeant Colin Shackleton of GMP’s Serious and Organised Crime Unit, said: “Their well-oiled plan was brought to an abrupt end when the drugs were discovered in their car.
“They thought they could outsmart officers by crossing borders to obtain the drugs, but we’ve shown we’ve got the experience and skill to bring organised criminals like this to justice.
“With every conviction we’re a step closer to taking dangerous drugs off our street, but ensuring results like today relies on people sharing information about criminal activity in their area.”