Security
Met Police’s Victory Against Crime Group In UK
In a groundbreaking operation, the Metropolitan Police has successfully dismantled an organized crime group, leading to the conviction of 22 criminals who have been sentenced to a collective 160 years in the United Kingdom.
The Met’s Specialist Crime Command conducted a meticulous 15-month investigation into the criminal activities of a notorious gang involved in the supply of Class A drugs and firearms.
The operation resulted in the confiscation of a staggering 200 kilograms of drugs, firearms, ammunition, and significant amounts of cash.
The criminal gang, led by Ross Payton, strategically employed family and friends, including his sister Shainie Payton, her boyfriend Darren Goodge, uncle Lee Souter, cousin Jamie Dennison, and associate Reece Mort.
The gang’s reach extended across London, the Home Counties, and Scotland, utilizing a sophisticated fleet of vehicles equipped with hidden compartments for transporting illicit goods.
Detective Inspector Nikki Owen, leading the investigation, emphasized the profound impact on London’s drug supply and overall safety.
The comprehensive effort by officers not only resulted in the conviction of the core criminals but also identified and protected vulnerable individuals exploited by the gang.
On December 13, at Woolwich Crown Court, the remaining seven members of the gang received sentences totaling 90 years.
Their guilty pleas, backed by overwhelming evidence, underscored the success of the police operation. Throughout 2022, an additional 15 gang members were sentenced in separate hearings.
The key players, including Ross Payton, Shainie Payton, Darren Goodge, Lee Souter, Jamie Dennison, Reece Mort, and Alfie Malone, faced substantial prison terms for their roles in conspiracy, drug supply, and firearms-related offenses.
The Met Police’s commitment to dismantling the criminal network was evident in their persistence and diligence over the course of the investigation.
The operation commenced in March 2020, targeting the supply and distribution of Class A drugs in southeast London. Surveillance revealed a network operating from London to Scotland.
Alfie Malone’s arrest in September 2020 marked a pivotal moment, leading to subsequent arrests and the unraveling of the gang’s extensive criminal activities.
Analysis of Ross Payton’s phone revealed his central role as the OCG leader, orchestrating drug distribution and even conspiring to sell firearms.
Telegram messages exposed the distribution of 115 kilos of Class A drugs, valued at £3,450,000 in wholesale value.
The network’s transactions reached into the millions, spanning the UK.
Beyond the arrests, the investigation identified and supported three vulnerable individuals exploited by the gang. Lower-tier members were also convicted, ensuring a comprehensive disruption of the criminal enterprise.
The sentences handed down to various members, including those lower in the hierarchy, reflect the Met’s commitment to reducing crime and restoring trust within communities.
In addition to the core members, lower-tier individuals faced justice.
Taylor Plumb, Marshall Arthur, Martyn Savill, Ibrahim Saleh, Eddie Peacock, Channing Broderick, Mansur Mustapha, Jake Keys, Navid Jamshidi, Mark Sawyer, Robbie Asaw, Steven Boreham, John Andrews, Daniel Jarvis, and Charlie Keys all received sentences commensurate with their involvement in the criminal activities.
A student of the Federal University Birnin Kebbi (FUBK) has been abducted by unidentified gunmen following an off-campus hostel attack.
Channels reports that the incident occurred in the early hours of Tuesday at Istijaba Villa in Unguwar Jeji area of the state.
Witness accounts said five armed men entered the hostel to demand money from students who were taking a walk outside.
But the students refused to give in to their demands, which led to an assault from the attackers.
A resident, who was said to have attempted intervention, was shot dead while a final-year student of economics, simply identified as Madubiya, was whisked away by the assailants.
Responding to the incident, Muhammad Zaiyan-Umar, the vice-chancellor of FUBK, visited the scene in the company of the officers from the Kalgo police division and Department of State Services (DSS).
Addressing the students, Zaiyan-Umar said the university is committed to ensuring their safety and security.
It is understood that the VC has communicated the incident to Nasir Idris, the governor of Kebbi state, through the secretary to the state government and the director of security services at the cabinet office.
As of this reporting, the Kebbi state police command has yet to respond to enquiries about the incident.
In 2021, rumours soared of a planned attack by bandits after a heavy security presence was observed on campus.
At the time, the management of FUBK dismissed the claims.
The National Security Adviser (NSA) Nuhu Ribadu has expressed the Federal Government’s determination in finding a lasting solution to the incessant attacks and killings in Plateau State.
Speaking at Operation Safe Haven headquarters in Jos during an operational visit in the aftermath of attacks in some communities of the Bokkos Local Government Area LGA) of the state, Ribadu promised to end the killings.
Over fifty persons were killed within a week in attacks over five communities that left over three hundred houses burnt by suspected herdsmen.
The Plateau State Government, through the Secretary to the Government Samuel Jatau, also visited some of the affected communities to ascertain the extent of damages and also donate relief materials to affected victims.
Adu expressed the Federal Government’s determination in finding solutions to the incessant attacks and killings.
Also, speaking about the killings, the District Head of Manguna wants the government to provide more security personnel in the affected communities to curb rural-urban migration.
The Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) has expressed sadness over the recent frightening attacks by terror groups on defenseless communities in Plateau State, which resulted in the tragic deaths of several people, including children.
The forum calls on the federal government to be constitutionally responsible for the protection of the lives and properties of citizens. It said this will ensure that such renewed attacks and killings on the Plateau and other communities in the Northern region and other parts of the country are stopped immediately.
In a statement signed by the National Publicity Secretary of the ACF, Tukur Muhammad-Baba, it asked the Federal Government to declare a state of security emergency on vulnerable and banditry-prone communities and to initiate effective early-warning and early-response strategies that incorporate the participation of community members.
“ACF reiterates its long-standing stance that every new such experience is one too many. Clearly, the people are in great pain, with their situation compounded by existential economic challenges. The killing spree on the Plateau must be stopped immediately, and peace must return to the State,” it said.
It also called on intensified efforts in actionable intelligence gathering, processing, and deployment by all relevant security agencies to establish the immediate and remote causes of the latest skirmishes, as well as for security agencies to investigate, identify, arrest, and prosecute perpetrators and enablers of the attacks.
Furthermore, ACF demanded full compensation for the victims of the attack and the extension of relief to those injured by the attackers.
“ACF deeply mourns the dead and unequivocally condemns the attacks. The Forum particularly extends sympathy and condolence to the affected communities, the Government, and the people of Plateau State,” part of the statement read.
“The Forum identifies with the deep pains of families of the victims, prays to God to grant the deceased eternal rest, for surviving victims to be fortified with strength to bear the losses and for quick return to full health for all who suffered injuries.”
It also asked the Federal Government and the Plateau State Government to empower community leaders, elders, clergy, traditional leaders, civil society organisations, and other stakeholders to embark on community dialogue for conflict resolution, reconciliation, and cooperation.
“Citizens should avail the security agencies with credible information on the activities of insurgents and criminals; and members of the National Assembly to do more to hold the FGN and the national security agencies to account and to demand concrete evidence of a firm resolve to exterminate the current terror on citizens,” the statement added.