hello and welcome back to go visit castles today we’re in our local city of Nottingham to visit what is possibly the most famous and well-known castle in the world and who knows we might even catch a glimpse of Robin Hood himself welcome to Nottingham Castle [Music] two years after the Battle of Hastings a modern Bailey Castle was constructed at Nottingham on the orders of William the Conqueror who entrusted the castle to William peverell during the reign of Henry II this was replaced with a stone keep and for centuries the castle was one of the most important in England thanks to its strategic position and proximity to Royal hunting grounds and forests the most famous of which is Sherwood Forest Home of the legendary Outlaw Robin Hood one of Nottingham Castle’s most unusual and interesting features the networks of caves and tunnels that run not just beneath the castle but the whole city itself and it was through this tunnel the Edward III stormed the castle and captured Roger Mortimer so this is the entrance to the tunnel known as mortimer’s Hall and this goes all the way from the top of the rock all the way down to the bottom to the trip to Jerusalem Pub now this tunnel has been off limits of the public for quite some time but in true go visit Castle fashion we are going in foreign history and explore in the tunnels beneath not in Castle it does not get any better than this does it no it doesn’t we’re actually walking the footsteps then with the thirds man when they came to capture Roger mortar aren’t we this is pretty special isn’t it when Edward III was crowned King he was only 14 years of age both Edward and his realm were governed by Queen Isabella and Roger Mortimer who were acting as Regents but by 1330 Edward had tired of mortimer’s behavior and whilst Mortimer and Isabella were meeting with their remaining allies here at Nottingham Castle Edward LED his supporters up through these tunnels in to the castle grounds and he overpowered Mortimer Mortimer was bound and gagged he was led down the tunnels where he was taken to the Tower of London he was condemned without a trial and he was executed [Music] the tunnel that I’m currently in is known as King David’s dungeon and as you can probably tell it doesn’t contain many dungeon-like features at all and that’s because it’s actually a passage from the old medieval kitchens but Legend has it that King David was held here for 11 years as a prisoner and that he scratched the story of Christ into the walls with his fingernails which isn’t true at all but David was held here temporarily after his defeat at the Battle of Neville’s cross in 1346 but it was only a temporary thing and after a few days he was moved to the Tower of London foreign [Music] [Music] the year is 11.94 the king of England reaches the lionheart has been away for many years on Crusade [Music] meanwhile back in England Prince John the Future King John has been behaving very badly foreign wants to take control of England and the frame for himself and with the help of some loyal supporters has taken control of the number of royal castles Nottingham is one of them [Music] unbeknown to the whole country King Richard has arrived back in England unannounced only to be told of his little brother’s treasonous Antics King Richard is not amused he has a large army behind him and he makes a beeline straight for Nottingham Castle [Music] foreign [Music] ER arrives in Nottingham on the 25th of March and immediately lays Seas to the castle the Castle’s Garrison not actually believing makes the king outside the gate but an army said to trick them and test their loyalty to Prince John hold out thank you [Music] the King has brought with him a number of Siege engines including trebuchets and the three days he attacks and he batters Nottingham Castle into submission [Music] on the third day The Defenders finally realizing that it is the king besieging them surrender thus ending the siege of 1194. [Music] it was here at Nottingham Castle in 1461 the Edward IV declared himself king during the War of the Roses Edward recognized the Castle’s military value and he immediately set about strengthening the defenses here [Music] when Edward died Richard Duke of Gloucester lodged Edward’s sons in the Tower of London for their protection but young Edward never made it to his coronation because his father’s marriage had been declared invalid and because him and his brother had mysteriously disappeared [Music] Richard Duke of Gloucester was now crowned the king and it’s from Nottingham Castle that Richard III rode out to meet Henry Tudor’s Army at the Battle of Bosworth foreign Hood was he a real person think of Outlaws condemn men fugitives from the law Harding out and showing forest with a price on their head in truth I think there would have been quite a few people just like Robin Hood I’m just not too sure about Robin from The Ridge and giving it all back to the poor though in 1642 Charles the first raised his standard at Nottingham Castle starting the English Civil War but Charles failed to Rally any support and so parliamentarian seized the opportunity to hold the castle after the Civil War the castle was demolished to prevent it being used for military purposes ever again with you guys [Music] [Music] the history of Nottingham Castle is just so vast that it was impossible to cover all of it in the video so what we have done is popped a timeline of the events in the description below and if you have a look through that it gives you an idea of just how important aside Nottingham Castle was and no visit to Nottingham Castle would be complete without having a point in the old trip to Jerusalem Pub and it’s from this Pub that Richard the first first set out on Crusade if you’ve enjoyed this please like And subscribe and we’ll see you next time see you next time [Music]
Tag: history
Nottingham Castle Rich History – buildings in England.
Nottingham Castle is a historic building located in the city of Nottingham England it is considered to be one of the most important cultural landmarks in the country and has a rich history that spans over 900 years the original Castle was built in 1067 by William the Conqueror and has served as a military Fortress and Royal Palace throughout its history the castle has undergone significant changes in renovations and it served as a royal residence a military stronghold and a prison one of the most notable events in the history of Nottingham Castle was the Battle of Nottingham in 1471. this battle saw King Henry VI and his forces defeated by King Edward IV marking the beginning of the end of the wars of the Roses in the 16th century King Henry VII ordered the demolition of the castle and he was replaced by a mansion that was used as a royal residence by Queen Elizabeth the first the Mansion was later destroyed in a fire in 1831 and the current Castle was built in its place today the castle is a popular tourist destination and a museum that showcases the history of Nottingham and the surrounding areas visitors can explore the caves beneath the castle which were used as a prison in the 17th and 18th centuries and viewed a collection of weapons and armor that are on display in addition to its historical significance Nottingham Castle is also known for its beautiful grounds and Gardens which provide a peaceful escape from the bustling City the castle is surrounded by Lush Greenery and visitors could take a stroll through the gardens and enjoy the beautiful views of the surrounding area in conclusion Nottingham Castle is a truly remarkable building with a rich history that spans over 900 years from its Origins as of military Fortress to its role as a royal residence and prison the castle has played a significant role in the history of Nottingham and the country as a whole today it serves as a museum and a popular tourist destination offering visitors the opportunity to explore its Rich history and beautiful surroundings.
Nottingham Caves Medieval Legends and History
Nottingham Caves Medieval Legends and History is a great place to go if you’re interested in learning about some of the best known and most fascinating ancient stories and tales. The caves are thousands of years old, and contain a rich collection of artifacts, from the earliest times to the Victorian period, including the remains of Robin Hood. The caves are also home to a number of ancient air raid shelters, which served as vital hubs for British and Commonwealth troops in the Second World War.
Robin Hood
The legend of Robin Hood is one of the most important in Medieval England. It reflects the struggle of dispossessed Saxons against powerful Norman rulers. The legend is also linked to the Black Death and the Hundred Years’ War.
Many people think of Robin Hood as a medieval outlaw who robbed the rich and gave to the poor. This is the main idea behind the legend. However, several Robin Hoods existed in the Middle Ages, most of whom were fugitives from the law.
The term “yeoman” refers to someone of a lower status than a knight. It originally described a young male servant of a noble house. In the thirteenth century, the term came to mean an outlaw.
Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem
Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem is one of Nottingham’s iconic landmarks. It is one of the city’s oldest pubs and is built on top of ancient caves. There is a lot of history and legend attached to this place.
In the 12th century, Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem was a major meeting point for Crusaders. This was the time when the Third Crusade, an attempt by England to take control of the Holy Land, was taking place. King Richard I was a prominent commander in this crusade. He is also reputed to have visited this area.
The Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem is a Grade II listed building. This pub is located at the foot of Castle Rock, which is where Nottingham Castle is situated.
Air raid shelters during the Second World War
During the Second World War Nottingham Caves played an important role as air raid shelters. The city of Nottingham is known as Tigguo Cobauc, a Welsh Anglo-Saxon name for “place of caves”. It’s believed that a travelling monk named Nottingham after a local cave dweller.
In September 1935 the British government issued a circular called ‘Air Raid Precautions’ that invited the local authorities to plan for war. It warned of the dangers of a bombing attack and advised people to dig trenches, place sandbags around windows and douse fires with stirrup pumps.
When the bombing started, many people fled to their homes. But for some, their only option was a bomb shelter. They huddled in cramped, drafty spaces.
Nottingham Ancient Cave Network
The Nottingham Caves are a network of man-made caves that stretch beneath the city. Their origins date back thousands of years. They were once used as dungeons, prisons, cisterns and tanneries. They are now a tourist attraction, where you can explore the history and legends of the city.
Nottingham’s caves are a testament to the city’s sandstone bedrock, which makes it easy to cut into. Some of the caves are small, while others are large, a few metres wide and a few metres high. During the Middle Ages, they were used as tanneries and were kilns for the production of malt and pottery. They were also used as a secret passage to reach Nottingham Castle.
Some of the Nottingham Caves have been bricked up, but others remain intact. In recent years, some of the caves have been explored by archaeologists. In addition, the University of Nottingham has researched the medieval underground cave network.
Nottingham Forest A Brief History
During Nottingham Forest’s long history, there have been plenty of successes and disappointments. The club’s first major honour came when they beat Derby County in the FA Cup final in 1898. However, Nottingham Forest also spent a number of years in the wilderness. Their last top-flight season was in 1999, and they’ve since been in the third tier for the last three seasons. They’ve made some key signings, but have also suffered some defeats.
Nottingham Forest was one of 20 clubs to join the Premier League in 1992. However, they finished outside of the top ten in the first season. That year was also the first time that Forest won more games than they lost, and the team’s unbeaten streak was also extended to nine matches. The team’s only defeats came in the last six league matches of the season.
Nottingham Forest reached the quarter-finals of the UEFA Cup in 1995. However, the club was knocked out of the European Cup in the semi-finals by Anderlecht. During the 1995/96 season, Forest were also in the FA Cup, and they drew three matches and lost three. The team finished the season in 21st place in the old Division One.
Nottingham Forest’s most recent top-flight season was in 1999, but the club has been out of the Premier League for more than twenty years. In fact, the club had been relegated from the top-flight four times during their history, and the team had spent a number of seasons in the third tier. The club won promotion in 1994, but that was the last time that they reached the top-flight. In the past two weeks, the Forest squad has made 11 incoming signings. They’ve also signed Jesse Lingard, who was formerly with West Ham, and Belgian midfielder Orel Mangala from Stuttgart. The club is also still in the FA Cup, where they’re preparing for a two-legged semi-final against Leeds.
Nottingham Forest lost two out of five league games in the first season of the Premier League. They’ve won five out of their last 12 matches, though, and have only drawn ten. The team has been largely unbeaten in the league since September, with the exception of a 3-2 loss at Everton.
Nottingham Forest’s last season in the Premier League was in 1999, and they ended up finishing in the bottom three. However, many of the club’s players weren’t even born when the team last played in the top flight. The club’s current squad is looking to follow in the footsteps of Brian Clough, who was one of the most successful managers in English football history. He was the manager of Nottingham Forest when the club won their first League Championship and European Cups. He also won the Anglo-Scottish Cup with Forest in 1976.
Brian Clough was appointed as manager of Nottingham Forest on January 6th 1975. He went on to win four League Cups and the English title with the club. He was able to take the club to Wembley in May 1997, where he led them to a 4-2 victory over Leeds in the play-off final. His last match as manager of Nottingham Forest was a 2-1 loss to Ipswich Town.
Nottingham Tunnels Explore
foreign we venture back to the 1885 back Valley stormwater culvert there’s a micro on the micro geocaches running for two miles underneath the center of Nottingham no way from the set of airpods knives down the toilet we discovered the Mysteries and hidden secrets in this back system it’s going to be a moist one this one I accidentally come across it when I went past on the narrowboat on the trench which the river Trent is over there big moist thing now hey viewers so we’re down on the riverbank now that’s the river Trent behind me and this is the beginning of the Culvert whoa here we go it’s a bit slippy it’s a curve so watch it it is a curve in the middle it’s flat there he goes no the base of this is quite curved and where it curves it’s really slippery so I’m gonna walk down the center line and then we go getting the benefit of pants death ray behind us you could only uh the moisture that is yeah just feel a little deeper you can see on the tide marks it’s been up to head height before bed up ahead on the roof somewhere take it apart there it is that’s on the right I thought it was a bat it’s not it’s like a little bird can you see that viewers oh yeah yeah we try and get past it that is what gets scared and go deeper in you can see a ball the supports going across this 1800s tunnel were a couple of hundred yards in now and the water level has dropped it’s just a top of leg height now which I’ve just had Harry say it’s found a geocache so there’s a geocache in there yeah yeah oh yeah there you go viewers the center of the screen now that is a geocache so someone would have after lift the manhole to get to that or come in the way we have so if you’re looking for a geocache in the Nottingham area down in this whereabouts are we in town still by the river Trent really it’s uh Dell Side Road is the next Road nearest Hillside Rod there you go if you’re looking for a geocache there it is all right dude Donnie was just Donnie was just telling me off camera that he can hear someone clear the down the tunnel um that’s Harry just up ahead but beyond that nearly like Cutlery or like metal worked in bang the bowl oh yeah interesting the water level is quite constant at the minute but it’s very clear got various little drains that it must be storm drains that intercept and come down here yeah I feel it’s quite clean is it just why the water’s still is bad yeah yeah still and it could be minerals I’m pretty sure you can see there like yeah you can see there light through that little tunnel work yeah done is an experienced Carver by the way so you do have underground underwater experience with us I’m not just going in as a web so we know what we’re doing and Danny’s got a full gas detector on him so there is any nasty gases down here we’ll know but the minute all the readings on that are good thank you so coming up to a little Junction in this tunnel is the main tunnel turned to the right we’ve got this smaller tunnel to the left where Dany is recommend going in there because it’s not knee deep in some right so it’s a little offshoot but we’ll be exploring today gonna stay on this main channel here you can actually see the brickwork and it’s art underneath the Arches so it’s not a circle because the walls are flat but the bottom is art very similar to the ceiling just to the left there Danny has found another little tunnel try and light off a bit better for you just out pretty good in there all right look at the architecture here it’s gone in to allowing that little pop bite to come through that’s like a four inch pot pipe and the roof structure that starts to be created to allow that to come in at that level quite a staggering really the water level is dropping quite considerably now because we’ve got a little side cover here it’s a ground’s quite slippery and it’s going for it down there site sort of Die Hard get your right burst on yeah So Beautiful to this Interceptor here which seems to separate the tunnel and add support for above you’ve got a hatch there short that’s four so I’m gonna while I was gonna pour Harry because then this side is the part of the same tunnel These Bricks look like engineering bricks that have been added after the original tunnel and then there’s concrete above to support it all and of even a little further up the concrete line the roof section as we get to the railway I think that’s the railway that flat section yes we did here just off camera I just hear a trim go over rather a friend or a trump yeah this uh deviation in the floor there this part is actually concrete the brick stops it goes to concrete but that side to all our viewers as we get to another pillar with concrete support shuts of concrete and steel so this has all been added another look at the side somewhere foreign that’s where water has got Behind the Bricks somehow and it’s making its way out there there’s Donnie’s found something what have you found Danny another geocache gosh he is in this in this storm drain so uh oh yeah just fabulous there’s a micro one a micro geocache and so on unfortunately I don’t have a pentas on it we made a very small pan yeah yeah have you seen into Adam before no no I’ve never done geocaches love it so you get like little notes inside and you’re gonna sign them with your um username and it’s worldwide it’s again that you can put like a treasure hunter you’ve ever heard of it yeah like grown-ups wearing a Pokemon um I suppose in a sense yeah a lot on grown ups Playbook I I’ll be honest I play Roblox on Minecraft with Thomas uh check out Thomas Thomas’s gaming Adventures Link in the description box that’s my son is eight and he’s got a YouTube channel so I’d appreciate if you check that out viewers as Danny is checking out that geocache micro geocache right there oh it’s called the BET Valley storm water colder there’s that’s what it’s called can you see that yeah I think so so that’s that’s this geocaching now that we’ve just found oh have you got the geocache app yeah yeah so you’re completing your little geocaching yeah yeah there’s quite a lot of light coming in through there yeah it’s a bit of a mission isn’t it really to um pull all the drains up to fandom yeah I thought it was like Librarians and stuff that did geocaches yeah as well wow oh okay there we go an airbag says he’s basically me Urban exploration uh but explorers which is what we are in that right um but I’m saying yeah yeah just agree to it micro geocache yeah and we’re underneath that Valley roundabout or something I’ve probably said that completely wrong no you found it on Google Maps I don’t know some roundabout and we’re underneath it I went past the railway yeah probably not I had a train there I thought I did it was just going down but what’s all this extra support for them but the valley roundabout is the other side of the Railway we turned right on it and um well I am that’s manifestation so I’ve watched from the river up to here so we’ve just gone under that road that’s what that concrete flat section is yeah I’m guessing it follows us all the way around here is it I don’t know so that’s the railway there all right okay so we haven’t met the railway yet we’re gonna get there obviously soon echoed down doesn’t it yeah slippery so just come off onto a shelf of silk here you seen that dummy treasure treasure that is the handle of a knife a murder weapon yeah it’s just the handle not the blade foreign yes we’ve got Nottingham spring now look foreign [Music] [Music] it’s a shank it’s like the majority of somebody’s Cutlery draw down here yeah I did say yeah you did yeah it’s a phantom Cutlery person where Harry is now with carrot oh yeah I’m not hungry though so according to a strengthened section in the tunnel now and this is where the railway line crosses at 90 degrees over this drag we’ve got a manhole there no geocaching that one but here we can see where it’s all been strengthened we’ve got Steels coming across where the tunnel’s been intercepted large concrete section in the middle and then we’ve got the Steels here drop it up the railway above so if you’ve traveled through the Nottingham Newark and Lincoln line you will look on over the Drone where we are now right above this section here foreign quite a tight curve here looking back at the railway section there in the center of the screen now we’re turning about 30 degrees to the left another night bank cards all right that’s crazy so we’ve got knives scissors and bank cards [Music] that’s quite the modern curve as well you found that Harry airpods no way for the set of airpods those are full set as well isn’t it oh dear just left there set of airpods great for those that don’t know our wireless headphones to rest now up ahead I don’t know if you can see on this GoPro footage viewers the tunnel goes from this section like an arch with black sides it looks like there’s a circular section up ahead looks really photogenic some very large pipes here and what they’re for a very large diameter pipes [Applause] I’m on return balls there so it’s Stern and car London depth forward Dartford Hmm this is where the trouble goes very close organic indeed oh my gosh yeah come on so we’re now looking back towards how we got in which is that way and that’s where the different shapes all makes is circular tunnel which we’re now in we’re setting off this where that’s and up ahead the forward here is quite slippery this is like the layer of silt on top of the bricks and that makes for a slippery on the foot experience as we head off this way Please Subscribe and share why not watch the video on screen now and I’ll see you next week at Thursday at 4pm UK time for the next installments of this Beck tunnel explore bye bye for now
Sneinton Boulevard old shops tour walking vlog
Walking Tour Down Sneinton Boulevard Nottingham , Old Shop Writing
The History Of Nottingham Documentary Part 1
The History Of Nottingham Is One That Is Rich In UK Criminal History In This Series We Will Take An In Depth Look Into Why Nottingham Was Once Regarded As One Of The Most Dangerous Places To Live In The UK #bendigo
Notorious Criminals Nottingham Documentary
[Music] the best wood cartel now exercised control over a number of pubs in the best wood and ball well area extorting protection money and laundering cash for its books colin and david gunn were now the masters of creating fear to suit their ends both played football for their favorite pup the scots grey and during one sunday league match in march of 2003 at balwell hall van the visiting team received a reminder of the gun brothers intimidation skills the jolly farmers football team walked into their dressing room ahead of the match to find a severed pig’s head in a plastic bag with the message screwed in blood welcome to hell somebody had acquired it from a local butcher the opposition team lost their spot suffering a 3-2 defeat after extra time the jolly farmer’s team secretary jeff best was urged to make an official complaint to the fa but was less than enthusiastic we have got nothing to say was his only comments after the match the scots grey pub had been frequently used by the gumbroomers any trouble which flared up on the premises was rarely dealt with by the police in february 1999 a 35 year old man was stabbed several times outside the pub in a friday night fast when the police went to see him he told them from his hospital bed they had no idea who his attacker was and he did not want them to take it any further he was as he pointed out already in poor shape and knew that talking to the police would be bad for his health run down pubs that they operated which would otherwise have been boarded up and shut down were given at least some lease of life with the best with cartel behind them the cartel was also branching out colin had renewed his association with a family-run gang in the north of nottinghamshire who were equally as brutal in their methods and with jonathan quinn another nottingham criminal from the bilbar area who had branched out significantly from the cigarette and cannabis smuggling into class a importation and firearms to service the north of england john and rob doors were the generals of the doors cartel based in mansfield and sutton in ashfield areas of nottinghamshire by 2001 they had come under investigation by law enforcement agencies who were surprised by the magnitude of their operation they ran a multi-million pound drugs empire from a small house in tudor street sutton and ashfield their modus operando was almost the blueprint of the best wood cartel with whom they enjoyed extensive links not least through john dawes who had worked with colin gunn some years earlier the door’s cartel would recruit young street dealers who usually had addictions of their own to act as runners for them to enforce their rule of law their number one rule was that fear brought great loyalty if you could grab them by the balls their hearts and minds would follow like his pal colin gunn john dawes and screwed life with a legitimate working world and preferred the black economy where no taxes were paid other than to those higher up in the drug business ladder who could tax on you from 1991 until his arrest in 2005 there is no evidence that john dawes did a single day’s legitimate work he lived almost exclusively according to his own accounts as a jobless man claiming benefit his hot-headed brother rob who had a penchant for ordering the shootings of anyone who displeased him was operating from spain from 2002 onwards organizing shipments of cannabis resin and cocaine while the rest of the gang organized wholesale deliveries of amphetamines and heroin mainly from liverpool and runcorn until 2001 they operated almost undetected by any meaningful police probe or enforcement agency police in nottinghamshire launched operation normality in 2001 with the help of the national crime sport and customs investigators by 2003 it would receive additional resources with the sanctioning of operation starburst by law enforcement agencies in london it found that the doors cartel was made up of three generals john and rob dawes and gary hardy another mansfield man whose father had been high up in the command chains of the midlands hell angels chapter these three leaders would take a freeway split on each shipment with rob organizing the smuggling of cocaine and cannabis from spain and john organizing its distribution across the midlands as well as the wholesale importation of amphetamines from holland and heroin from within britain in addition the doors cartel was operating with anthony handley and keith harrison over cannabis shipments into the uk these were handled by john and rob’s father arthur by 2001 this close-knit group was importing so many drugs into nottinghamshire but they had a backlog so they began to bury large amounts underground in coded locations in woodlands in sutton ashfield at sutton lawn mapplewell’s recreation park and in the woodland near pleasely police would eventually find five hundred thousand pounds buried in woodland highs near sutton parkway train station together with a sauna shotgun and animation the burial grounds for the drugs remain hidden to this day on the 1st of june 2001 investigators made their first major inroad into the gang officers lay in way as two doors cartel lieutenants drove to colwick industrial estate on the outskirts of nottingham police were staggered by the scale of the drug running they also discovered inside the industrial unit was around 100 kilos of amphetamines 6 kilos of cannabis resin and 11 kilos of paracetamol cutting agents enough to make 30 kilos of heroin ready for sale on the street jonathan guest ian butler and martin smith were all taken out by the police within a few days all were linked to the production at colwick which was used to cut cocaine heroin and amphetamines as well as to manufacture ecstasy pills and store cannabis john doe decided it was time for a holiday a break on the cost of the crime would enable him to rethink strategies as well as lincoln of his brother rob who spent regular breaks in spain and was laundering their money in two bars and a restaurant supply business near foot and growler he would be able to decide whether new recruits were needed and whether to put the scare into those who were arrested fear was needed to ensure that those who had been lifted by the police did not lead it to his door john and rob doors flew out to magola with some haste in june of 2001. john had rented a villa for nine months hoping that the police interest would eventually disappear he flew back to the uk in september of 2001 to test the water police just kept watching knowing that if they bodied more time it would all be revealed they had taken out their middle tier of the dwarves pyramid and the gangs general were running scared now john dawes was relying on a 23 year old to be one of his lieutenants ryan smith would take on the role on a legal front the arrested mr guest mr butler and mr smith were all beyond help for john dawes he just hoped that the fear that he and rob had installed into them would be enough to prevent them from grasping for more favorable sentences when their case eventually reached nottingham crown corps in january 2002 mr guest admitted conspiracy to supply amphetamines and cannabis as well as possessing 150 000 pounds of heroin he was in prison for 14 years mr butler who admitted possession of heroin with intense support received eight years mr smith whose fingerprints were all over the coalwick industrial estate and who was caught with a carrier bag stained with heroin and with 22 000 pounds hidden in his pantry received four years at the same time as the national crime squad officers were tackling this lower end of the doors cartel they had come across links to another gang smuggling large amounts of cannabis from holland and belgium via the north sea keith red harrison and anthony nottingham tone handily had come to the attention of the dutch police investigating the perplexing murder of a middle-aged schoolteacher on the 24th of november 2002 52 year old jared meesters answered his front door in a quiet area of groningen he was surprised to find five men outside one handed him a phone number on a torn off packet of red rizzler cigarette papers they spoke with english accents and the message was this you are jared meesters your sister janet has done something bad she has stolen something from us you must ring this number in spain and tell the man who answers the phone where your sister is be aware that if you do not do this we will come back and if we have to come back it will not be for a chat jared was shaking in fear he had never been involved in crime in his life he knew his sister had gone off the rails but he had no more idea where she was than the hoods who had visited him jared contacted the dutch police and told them what happened they told him he should take the threat very seriously and consider moving out of his home temporarily overnight jared moved himself his wife and their two children police kept watch on the property for a couple of days but were not there when four days later jared decided he needed to use his computer and returned home to oranstra a sleepy suburban street as he opened his front door to leave at 7 22 pm on the 28th of november 2002 he was approached by a man who pulled out a handgun and shot him eight times dutch investigators were baffled by the murder here is a man who has no criminal background and has been living a very quiet life but as their intentions turned towards his sister jeannette they slowly began to unravel a criminal network which centered on the doors cartel they placed telephone intercepts on the phones of certain dutch criminals who soon threw up the names of nottingham tony and red harrison as well as rob and john dawes through a massive total of 20 000 phone calls analyzed 95 of which were in basic drugs code they had stumbled upon another huge syndicate sending drugs from holland and belgium into the uk what they learned from the books was that jeannette maestas had become embroiled in the criminal network whilst living in spain and had become working as a courier for the doors cartel in autumn of 2002 jeannette and her friend madeline bruce had been given the job of driving a van from spain to holland carrying a large amount of cannabis the couple were pulled over by dutch police on suspicion of drink driving after they were alerted to the erratic behavior of the van inside police discovered more than 350 kilos of cannabis when robbed doors found out about the drugs bust he exploded with rage it was a shipment intended for nottingham tony and was supposed to be around 1.5 tons of cannabis according to the evidence later given in court mr dawes had made the assumption that the rest of the drugs must have been stolen by the two women he set about trying to locate them and sent a message to daniel soaby a 47 year old heroin addict who had been working for the gang since the absconding from prison in 2000. the message was clear put the frighteners on the relatives and family of these two and we will smoke them out if the woman doesn’t do anything we’ll take it to the next stage mr soberbee recruited a man called stephen barnes as his driver and the two men began to trace the relatives of miss meesters and miss bruce first they paid a visit to meester’s old brother jarrah mr swababy and mr barnes returned to groningen in the 28th of november mr barnes later said that he had not told the reason for the visit to the city and claimed he thought he was for a drugs room around 7 15 pm that night mr soberbee who was living under an assumed name with a false passport in breda a city in southern holland took a handgun from a bag and left the car while mr barnes waited for him a few minutes later mr soebe returned and shouted at mr ban go go go let’s get out of here what the [ __ ] is going on mr barnes asked mr sobe replied i’ve been told to kill somebody which i have that’s all you need to know the duo stopped on their way back to the safe house in breda and mr sobe dumped the murder weapon their victim was jared meesters a week later madeleine bruce’s mother ex-husband and boyfriend received a note telling them to contact the same spanish phone number given to jared meesters along with a note were cuttings from a newspaper which detailed mr meester’s murder the implications for the family should they not call the phone number were clear dutch police set up surveillance on the family’s properties in the summer of 2003 relatives received another note warning them to tell them where madeleine was or their lives would be in serious danger police set about forensically testing the material which had been sent in the post incredibly mr soaby had failed to check the material he posted to the brunson family was clean and mr barnes who was known to the dutch police had left his fingerprint on one of the newspaper clippings investigators revealed that mr barnes had since been arrested and was serving a 16-month prison term for a fatal road accident in rotterdam after driving whilst drunk and high on cocaine mr sowerby had been also locked up for drug offences police visited mr barnes first and he confessed to driving mr soaby to the scene of the assassination mr barn said he had initially been sent to amsterdam by the doors cartel because he had stolen 42 grams of heroin from them he was told he would have to pay off his drug death by doing errands for them in holland and he was ordered to become a runaround for mr sober after he ferried mr sowerby to the scene of jared’s murder he fled to spain where rob dawes had ordered him for a debriefing the debriefing session ended with him being severely beaten with an iron bar he suffered several broken limbs mr barnes was told he would be killed if he even ever mentioned the murder a dutch court gave mr barnes who was described as a victim of a criminal organization an eight year sentence for his involvement in mr meester’s murder he had known the doors brothers from school and made a number of visits to amsterdam with rob doors acting as a drug tester before being exiled to holland to repay his heroin debts his lawyer pointed out that once he became a soldier for the gang he could not just leave his life and the lives of his family would be in grave danger if he was arrested or tried to flee the gang would assume that he was a risk and could compromise their operation mr soaby who was described by the dutch judge as a very dangerous man was sentenced to life imprisonment he had already spent much of his life behind bars he had previously been given a life sentence in the uk for the brutal murder of a 66 year old harold birdle who had been beaten to death during a burglary in lincolnshire in december 1977 mr sowerby had fled north sea camp open prison in 2001 before initially going on the run in france and then in holland where he was recruited by the doors cartel both men refused to give any details of the people they were looking for i have to think of my family and my relatives said mr sober if i confess to the murder i have no life anymore then i fear for the lives of my brothers nephews and nieces i will never confess mr barnes said what happened to gerald meesters is not unusual these people know how to deliver pain in your life throughout the investigation dutch police were only able to speak to jeanette misters once while she was in spain before they lost contact we have no idea where these two women are one investigator said the trail ended in spain we don’t know whether they’re alive or dead the spin-off for the national crime squad investigators in the uk was that as a result of the dutch phone taps they now knew that the door’s cartel was a ruthless calculating gang willing to murder on the same scale as the best wood cartel and they were dealing in a much larger quantity and with much more networks than they’d previously been fought the telephone taps had also thrown up a link between large-scale drug shipments flowing from spain hollom and belgium and these cartels ran by the doors family keith harrison and anthony handley and the best good cartel all the roads were leading back to nottinghamshire and southern spain where robbed doors were still holed up in the near town of fruing roller operation normality the probe into the door’s cartel was in full swing after bringing down some of the doors lieutenant and realizing that the qatar was bigger than they thought officers began to take a closer look at the financial transactions of the gang they found more than 8.5 million pounds going through their hands between november 2002 and june 2003 in addition members of the gang were locked on more than 40 flights coming in and out of magala and amsterdam over a two and a half year period in the midst of operation normality nottinghamshire police had to deal with the murder of david draco who was shot dead outside his home in sutton ashfield in october 2002 over a thirty thousand pound debt to the best wood cartel and doors gang john dawes was given the police liaison officer on the basis that he might be at risk because people believed he was linked to the murder mr dawes even had the cheek to offer the detective constable a job in 2002 he telephoned the officer when are you due to hang up the truncheon he said you know we are always on the lookout for lads like yourself you know due for retirement with the kind of stuff you could help us with you would shoot up the promotional ladder in our organization as officers listened in to calls between the group they heard the coded names behind mystery figures and the cartel that they were dealing with the fishermen the hoitawa special bill and carlos as the arrest began to take place in 2003 police also managed to turn some of the cartels drug runners despite the threats of violence which were being leveled at them against them crucially it led to four runners richard carrington mark simpson lee blackmore and christian babsby giving detailed accounts of how the car tower that she operated mark simpson told the police how he had been recruited by john dawes after coming out of prison in january 2002 two months later he and a friend agreed to sell heroin for john doe anything they made above 750 pound per ounce would be profit a meeting took place at which mr dawes and gary hardy were present and outline the areas that the runners could sell in mr dawes told mr simpson he would let him sell heroin in sutton and ashfield and that another man would handle kirby in ashfield mr simpson always took the money to mr dawes usually at his house in tudor street but once at a public house on two occasions he picked up 10 kilos of amphetamine and mr dawes told him where to drop them but some of the speed went missing and mr doors exploded with rage ten minutes later jon dawes came round and batted me around the head with a kosh then they got my hands and smashed him said mr simpson i was absolutely terrified i’d even soiled myself he said that mr dawes had beaten him senseless with a basal bat on another two occasion if you lie to john he hit you he was an absolute psychopath richard carrington told the police how he worked as a courier for rob doors from 2000 until 2002. mr carrington was also involved with john dawes and saw him operating an electric money counter machine at his house putting notes into bundles of one thousand pounds in 2001 mr carrington went to the colwick unit used for making ecstasy tablets and cutting cocaine and amphetamines to pick up some drugs he told police how he would usually pat the drugs under a spare wheel on john dawes shogun 4×4 among the other tasks carried out by mr carrington were shipping of drugs to rugby and manchester and moving the money to holland and spain for rob mr carrington would fly from heathrow east midlands and gatwick airport to amsterdam and magala with wads of cash secreted in his shoes or in the false linings of suitcases lee blatmore was released from prison in june 2000 and began selling heroin for himself before jon dawes told him he would have to work for the cartel or suffer serious consequences mr blackmore told the police how mr dawes used a myriad of burial sites safe houses and runners mark simpson would collect heroin from matlock and bring mr blackmore seven ounces a week which he divided into half grand bags he paid mr simpson after a while mr barnsby replaced mr simpson and supplied mr blackmore both mr barnsby and mr blackmore became very stressed after a load of heroin went missing and at first mr barnsby went on the run he eventually walked into the police station to confess everything closely followed by mr blackmore mr baumsby’s role was to take heroin to mr blackmore and then divide it into ounces they were supplying two or three people every day with an ounce of heroin selling it at 900 pounds per tonne it would be collected from the tesco car part in nottingham once a month mr barmsby would make a profit of 75 pounds per each ounce sold he also collected amphetamines from the same place in nottingham the smallest quantity being 2 or 4 kilos and the largest being 20 kilos like mark simpson he suffered from the gang leaders uncontrollable rages mr barnsby told the police how jon dawes beat him up badly because he did not like the girl that mr bonzi was going out with the door’s brothers 59 year old father arthur eddie dawes poses an antique dealer even allowing another essex based cocaine gang with close links to the doors cartel to use his addresses for bogus businesses between 1997 and his arrest in 2003 arthur claimed thousands of pounds in disability benefit but appeared to be quite capable of helping his son transport drugs from place to place he lived in in gold mells on the lincolnshire coast in a modest house in central avenue with his partner rebecca bridge when police eventually raided the property they found ten thousand pounds in cash two banknote counting machines and a dutch mobile phone beside a bedside cabinet in another room was a hold hall with two maps one of barcelona and one of santander with hotels marked in rings in a sideboard cupboard in the living room was a 2003 diary with the entries in and out for the period from february to the 12th of june and references to names places and flights also in the lounge were a large number of receipts for mobile phone cards 10 phone chargers and a number of other items among the items in ms bridge’s handbag was a book containing a number of phone numbers in a mixture of hers and arthur’s handwriting and the names of middle tier suppliers which had come from anthony handley after doors had also been observed at newport paganal service station on the m1 motorway handing over a tesco’s call back to the driver of a black london cab the cab was pulled over as it left the service station and police found one hundred thousand pounds in the back mr door said that the money was for anthony handley by late spring with a number of arrests having already broken the gang down the door’s cartel began to unravel first as a result of an accident on the 29th of april 2003 one of its couriers crashed its car containing two kilos of heroin analysis of a mobile phone in the car showed a link with a major drug supplier donnie quinn then john dawes himself was arrested having lost many of his troops he had been forced to get hands on in the operation on the 23rd of may 2003 the police saw his fellow boss gary hardy driving a black porsche near sutton ashfield it paused at the junction long enough to give the impression that it was waiting there before pulling around the corner the police then saw jon doors at the passenger door he got into the vehicle police saw body movement in the porsche as if something was being handed over and moved in as mr dawes stood on the pavement with a carrier bag and the porsche drove off arresting mr dawes as he got into his car the carrier bag had contained 14 000 pounds in cash other members of the gang were also rounded up including arthur dawes rebecca bridge and roy smith who had been acting as one of john thor’s lieutenants tony handley and red harrison were the next to trip up 33 year old mr handley who was also known as spunky worked with mr harrison as the kingpin in charge of distributing drugs including ecstasy amphetamines cocaine and cannabis to the west of the uk after they had been imported from holland and belgium when their dutch counterparts informed them that mr handley and mr harrison’s names had turned up on books connected with the murder of jared meesters the national crime squad officers from the midlands launched operation shearson against them in 2003. mr hanley and mr harrison had got to know one another while serving time in hmp north camp c in lincolnshire mr hanley was in for an armed robbery and mr harrison was in for manslaughter mr hanley was an unlikely villain his father was heavily involved with a hypno church and mr hanley had been trained as an accountant himself when he partnered the opening of a sports shop in march 1995 there was little sign of him becoming heavily involved in organized crime he even gave away its first 100 pounds to help gladesdale school in billsborough helped replace sports equipment which was destroyed in a fire but the business went under leaving mr hanley to consider crime as an option to obtain the wealth he saw his first major brush with the law came in february 2000 when he was convicted of an armed robbery along with two others dale roy who he would later recruit for the drugs business and keith stanleyland a 33 year old from huff weight the trio jumped robert bolan in his ford transit and relieved him at gunpoint of 160 000 cigarettes on the a610 near gilbert on the 2nd of november 1999. it was while serving some of his sentence at hmp north sea camp that mr hanley hooked up with mr harrison after absconding from prison mr harrison using the false identity graham harley managed to get a face passport and driving licence and disappear into obscurity in amsterdam he had been involved with ecstasy shipments before and clearly found he could make even greater profits being in holland his name first cropped up in dutch investigations into frankie’s peter beekmans a wholesale supplier of drugs in holland when the name of an englishman called red turned up on these tapes they discovered mr harrison’s real identity and a link was subsequently made to jared meester’s murder mr harrison was shipping drugs to mr hanley after buying them from mr beakman’s who was based in the city of tilburg mr harrison had looked up other friends from hmp north sea camp to assist in the uk distribution and these included a number of people from nottinghamshire mr hanley would arrange for the drugs to be transported over by lorry mr harrison only had to secure a space in a lorry driven by somebody who innocently thought they were carrying a legitimate load millions of pounds worth of drugs would be shipped over to felix though on a ferry from rotterdam in taped up cardboard boxes mr harrison was also shipping drugs for other gangs including the best with cartel and jonathan donny quinn it was easy to then use mr hanley for some of that distribution he would meet the loads and arrange distribution throughout the east midlands west midlands and london the pair soon enjoyed a very lavish lifestyle mr harrison had swanky apartments in amsterdam and breda and both men drove around in mercedes and audi tt’s mr hanley would talk on his mobile phones while sipping a latte in an internet cafe in hooknell on the edge of nottingham listening to mr harrison complain how bored he was in holland and reveal how he spent up to eleven thousand pounds a night on rauch’s night’s hour in the red light district picking up expensive hookers while his wife was back home in the uk much of their talk was monitored by the national crime squad and it was to do with drug shipments the duo used basic code words in their phone conversations cannabis was referred to as a bitter green speeds or amphetamines were then fast things ecstasy tablets were the little ones and cocaine was the expensive stuff however mr harrison who at first became rash when things went wrong with sometimes failed to stick to the agreement on the code words particularly when a shipment was intercepted and were taught explicitly about coke and speed one officer said mr harrison was a billy nomix who only got friends by paying for high class hookers his phone became his best friend and that was his undoing even when he couldn’t get through he left the trail he just couldn’t resist ringing people up who we could then link to the trade through the mapping of the phones when he did get through he was often saying things that played right into our hands mr hanley sent danger and halted calls with mr harrison with his main contact suddenly unattainable mr harrison turned to help from his old friend donald jane an associate from his west midlands days of petty crime and now an underworld figure in birmingham he agreed to arrange the next shipment and approach michael sawwith a boat skipper with two previous convictions for drug importation mr james paid around five thousand pounds towards the higher of mr sauer’s 21 foot speedboat the sundancer which set out from ransgate in kent in august 2003 to make the pickup at a military yacht club in newport on the belgium coast also on board was stephen boa an old acquaintance of mr harrison whose job it was to keep an eye on the skipper and the drugs at the same time mr harrison drove from his home in breda with a ford focus filled with drugs accompanied by his dutch supplier mr beacons mr beacon’s brother-in-law and another unnamed dutchman were in a separate vehicle following he met mr sword and mr bowers with the sundancer and all three men headed back to holland the national crime squad and their dutch and belgium colleagues knew all about it not only did they have the phone’s taps in place but they also had infiltrated the gang belgium police arrested mr harrison and his english accomplices who were later extradited to the uk while the dutchmen were arrested back in holland in england the national crime squad picked up donald james mr beekmans known as the tillerman would later receive a six and a half year sentence and his brother-in-law would receive three years for his involvement after being spooked a feeling which was proved to be correct by the arrest of his pal in belgium mr hanley went on the run holding up in a thirty thousand pound caravan in a remote park in scarborough in yorkshire for six months he watched and waited with the national crime squad having little idea where he was on phone taps they heard that mr hanley was about to get married the detectives began ringing round registry offers around the country nothing turned up locally so one offers a joke that he was probably going to get married on grant for green the scottish border town famous for his quirky marriages as detective inspector john cullen who led the investigation recalled we had tried more obvious locations in sutton ashfield and not new it was a process of elimination then somebody had the inspiration of checking the most obvious location granted green and lo and behold they were right on the morning of the 1st of december 2003 at the mill hotel on the outskirts of grenfer green a party of eight gathered ready for a noon wedding ceremony in the chapel on the grounds a few minutes before the start mr hanley still nursing a bruiser of a hangover and feeling uncomfortably paranoid was getting ready with his best man who joked about any last request his bride was in another room alone looking forward to a future with a man she felt she could keep in her material manner which she had become accustomed to over the last few years but when officers moved in to make the arrest it was all over within a space of minutes mr hanley did not resist the 33 year old later told police i knew the game was up when i looked out the window and i saw a broad-shouldered man go past a delighted d.i could lip said he was surprised to see us he didn’t say very much he was trying to keep his dad at bed the gang was dealt with at birmingham crown corps in april 2005. keith winston eugene harrison originally from coventry was sentenced to eight years in prison whilst mr hanley was sentenced to five and a half years other members of the hook mill trafficking ring were jailed for a combined total of more than 20 years these foot soldiers all employed by mr hanley included mark ford a 32 year old from bulwell who was known as joe 90 or goggles because he wore spectacles mr ford was jailed for three years he had been arrested with two of her defendants in july 2003 with a consignment of drugs on the m1 near northampton mr ford also received an extra six months producing cannabis at a property he owned in nottingham allen ostrich man walker a 62 year old from cochgrave near nottingham received an 18-month center he had been involved in a huge ostrich farm fraud in nottinghamshire which had made more than 20 million pounds in less than 17 months by duping people into buying shares he became involved in the gang as a result of his time at north sea camp prison and agreed to fly over to britain from his home in nice france in 2003 to transport drugs for mr handley he was arrested in new market driving a van containing 85 kilos of cannabis adrian haywood a 36 year old from underwood got six years for supplying mobile phones and transporting for the trafficking he was a motor trader with a workshop in summer coast derbyshire officers found 37 500 ecstasy tablets in a search of the premises dale roy 31 from skegbee who was the security man for the batches of drugs held in various locations received three years while michael the giza sawwood 57 who had lived on the houseboat in kent got six years after being hired to take his speedboat to belgium to collect drugs for mr harrison stephen little basboa 35 from grantham received four years he acted as a runner and a security man holding drugs and going on trips to belgium with mr boa and after becoming seasick had it unwittingly ensured the entire group decided to prolong their stay at newport until he recovered they were there when police swooped the next morning subsequent drug seizures included 1.9 million pounds of cannabis in felixstowe and 1.2 million ecstasy tablets worth 4.8 million pounds in holland by the end of operation shearson police had doubt another big blow to the drug shipments being managed from nottinghamshire large amounts of class a drugs were seized in holland germany again brussels antwerp and birmingham with the help of customer exiles the operation sees 870 kilos of cannabis worth over 1.9 million pounds and 16 kilos of cocaine with a street value of 848 thousand pounds officers were ecstatic with the resource dismantling this well-established network is a major achievement and is down to the hard work and dedication of all the officers involved said d.i john could lit afterwards mr harrison and his cohorts have paid the heavy price of freedom for thinking that they could make easy money through drug trafficking and we hope this sends out a strong message to the others who attempted to do the same another of the gun’s associates donnie quinn had been building up a massive drugs operation of his own mr quinn was no stranger to the police and customs having been lifted several times in large-scale cigarette and cannabis smuggling busts but nothing had ever stuck he had based himself in the bilbray area of nottingham where in cockington road he had a large house which had been pimped up to make him the lord of the council of state such was the cheek of the man they had even had several former police officers from nottinghamshire who had branched out into the gardening services on their retirement willing to tend to his expensive garden for him he had already managed to wriggle out of major busts in october 1999 when 120 kilos of cannabis was found in a lorry in halfway one of the gang’s main men was a 31 year old terror petroplegia called nathan graham who had suffered a massive disability as a result of a driving accident mr graham would later die of a fatal asthma attack six days after being remanded in nottingham prison an inquest into his death recommended healthcare for disabled prisoners being much more improved the cannabis case had been dealt with by the national crime squad officers from derby and nottingham some of whom were later embroiled in a cocaine snorting scandal in 2001. when it came to court in september 2000 legal submissions were heard in chambers by a judge and the trial was abandoned although no reason was ever given publicly mr quinn still faced trial over a spectacular bust by customs and exiles at a warehouse on the banks of the river trent in august of 1999 investigators kept watch on a disused warehouse for several months as cigarettes were shipped in in their millions then a consignment worth more than two million pounds came in they swooped in some in high-powered rubber dinghy boats but he ended the four-week trial at nottingham crown court in march 2001 the jury was unable to reach a verdict a retrial was sought but had never materialized mr quinn perhaps now becoming overconfident launched himself into large-scale class a drug shipments and firearms using connections he had built up over the years he began assembling a formidable gang with some 20 trusted lieutenants spanning nottinghamshire in south yorkshire operation myopi was started in response by the national crime squads rugby branch in october 2003 and focused initially on the drug trafficking activities of mr quinn two of his lieutenants michael mcdonald who was then aged 35 from absolutely and jason wesley 35 from beeston and the network of couriers working in nottinghamshire it soon became apparent that the gang was involved in the supply and distribution of drugs between london nottingham and west yorkshire and had international link with mr quinn regularly visiting magala and spain initial surveillance showed that mr quinn was in regular contact over supplies with the door’s cartel as well as the best wood cartel he also had strong links with the underworld armors across the country and had access to large caches of firearms something he would later attempt to use in his advantage among his gang was a real life robin hood actor mark dickinson who played the famous outlaw at the city’s tales of robin hood attraction during the early 1990s would later appear in a film version of macbeth with jason connery and brian blessed he had fallen on hard times after getting to know mr quinn mr dickinson who also lived in bilbray was offered a job doing runs for him and soon became one of his most trusted cocaine couriers the 39 year old was one of the first to be arrested during a three-year operation officers swooped on mr dixon and watched him drive to the broad oak pub in the village of australia on the 2nd of july 2004 where he met a lorry driver as he left they pulled him over and discovered a kilo of cocaine in his car he would later be jailed for three years and nine months another gang member was a gulf war veteran from the meadows who had first served first battalion grenada’s guards in 1991 dean cumberpatch 34 was arrested after being caught driving a lorry with 150 kilos of cannabis for mr quinn and would later receive a two year sentence by may 2004 mr quinn had also became very good at money laundering he entered into a deal with a group of liverpool businessmen who ripped off the natwest bank to the tune of 15 million pounds in an elaborate fraud mr quinn became their banker the idea for the sophisticated get rich quick scheme came from a genuine letter sent to all the customers in the wake of natwest takeover by the royal bank of scotland it was a warning that wild check funds would still be shown as cleared on the third working day after being paid in they could still end up bouncing if the check was bad this was a signpost to the merseyside villains that it was possible to take money that didn’t actually exist from the account on the wednesday before the may bank holiday one of the merseyside group went into the st helens branch of natwest and placed 20 million pounds in bogus checks into accounts on the surface it was a legitimate deal the 38 000 nokia mobile phones by the friday well before the checks would show up as having been bounced the funds were waving their way through a number of other companies to disguise the origins and make it look like a legitimate financial transaction before arriving at a bank in rigor latvia it was an account mr quinn had opened in the name of alberton finance limited fortunately for nat west latvia had just joined the european union and had been warned to be on the lookout for money laundering activities realizing what was going on the banking authorities in latvia informed the city of london police the account was then frozen preventing the conspirators transferring much of the cast to dubai though altogether 14 million pounds of funds were cleared in latvia before the game was up mr quinn would later receive a three-year prison sentence at southwood crown court for the fraud to be added to his drug warrants meanwhile his drug smuggling operations were being doubt a severe blow as police took out the middle tier of his gang leaving mr quinn exposed although the gang was surveillance savvy regularly changing phones and using phone boxes it did not bank on the national crime squad bugging its higher cars when they went for a valid service every order mr quinn gave was picked up by the surveillance team throughout 2004 the main players in his gang were relentlessly targeted until mr quinn himself was eventually arrested once he was presented with all the bug material he threw in the towel and pleaded guilty altogether 21 members of the gang received a combined prison sentence of 117 years in 2006 mr quinn himself received an 18-year stretch for conspiracy to supply cocaine cannabis and amphetamines and a 12 and a half year sentence to run concurrently for the supply of ecstasy more than two million pounds worth of drugs have been discovered during operation myopia including six kilos of cocaine six kilos of ecstasy 160 kilos of cannabis and 25 kilos of amphetamines mr quinn was not happy about his sentence particularly as he had given the national crimes called officers information about free arm catches that he knew knowledge of he appealed on that basis but the judges pointed out that although the arms and ammunition had been discovered and that they had been important fines on the battle against organized crime no one had actually been arrested it is significant that having been in custody for 18 months the defendants still retain the ability to locate these weapons the appeal court judges said the implication was clear they were either his firearms or he was involved in their movement mr queen was struck with an 18-year prison sentence with donny quinn locked up and the doors cartel taken down colin and david gunn were running out of friends