Man linked to cocaine supply network in Hertfordshire and Thames Valley gets six year sentence

A man who was part of a gang supplying drugs in Hertfordshire and the Thames Valley has been jailed for six years.

Lee Mitchell, 45, of Little Canfield in Essex, was part of an organised crime group that also distributed drugs in Essex and London.

He was found guilty of supplying cocaine and sentenced to six years and six months imprisonment at St Albans Crown Court yesterday (11 January).

Mitchell was arrested by officers from the Hertfordshire Constabulary specialist organised crime team, Operation Relentless, in February 2021.

Police discovered that the 45-year-old purchased 750g of cocaine from an organised drug network.

He was arrested after officers gathered evidence from his home, which was obtained via a search warrant.

Hertfordshire Constabulary says Mitchell was part of an organised crime group who supplied drugs to four different counties in southern England. As part of a long running investigation 16 members of the group have been jailed for a total of 166 years.

Detective Inspector Grant Finnie, from Hertfordshire Constabulary’s Operation Relentless team, said: “Mitchell was part of a drug supply network which distributed into the Hertfordshire, Thames Valley, Essex and London areas for many years. Successfully dismantling such a significant network will have a big impact on drug use and associated crime within the county. This will also send a message to anyone involved in drug dealing, that Hertfordshire is a hostile environment for gangs and they will be pursued relentlessly.

“Organised crime groups use violence, supply drugs and commit a whole range of crimes that pose a real threat to the community. Operation Relentless is Hertfordshire Constabulary’s response to this on-going threat. As part of this work, we depend on information from members of the public to help us crack down on drug-related crime. Any information you can provide, no matter how small it may seem, could help us to identify and apprehend drug dealers.”

Information on illegal activity can be reported to the police online and people can speak with force operators in Hertfordshire via a web chat.

Alternatively information can be reported anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or online.