Trio sought in Met drug smuggling probe

 
2 May 2013
WEST END FINAL

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Scotland Yard has launched an appeal to trace three men in connection with drug smuggling worth millions of pounds.

Detectives want to track down 40-year-old Jamie Spring, also known as Jamie Hall, Christopher Mealey, 37, and Lee Smith, 40, in relation to the importation of cocaine into the UK from Europe.

The appeal comes the day before the rest of the gang are due to be sentenced at Kingston Crown Court.

They were arrested in January last year when 24lb (11kg) of cocaine with an estimated street value £1.5 million was imported into the UK by a Northamptonshire-based haulage company.

John Reed, 65, of Capstan Way, Southwark, south London, was the mastermind behind the elaborate scheme, which had an estimated annual turnover of £25 million.

He will be sentenced tomorrow for conspiring to supply Class A drugs with another criminal associate, Kevin Jones, 51, of Douglas Road, Welling, Kent.

Three others - Robert Greenhill, 62, of Ivy Close, Dartford, Kent, Joseph McCorry, 52, of Northumberland Avenue, Welling, and Daniel Cheevers, 47, of Troon Crescent, Wellingborough, Northamptonshire, were jailed last month.

Spring and Mealey are the sons-in-law of Reed and, along with Smith, have not been seen since the other gang members were arrested. All three have connections to Spain and Cyprus but police "retain an open mind" as to their whereabouts.

Detective Inspector Grant Johnson said: "We require the help of the public in finding Spring, Mealey and Smith who we wish to trace in connection with the large importation of cocaine into the UK. After extensive inquiries into their whereabouts we are still no closer to tracing them.

"I urge anyone with any information or knows where these three men have been since January 2012 to contact us and help us with our investigations".

Anyone with any information can call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

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