Thirteen jailed after police take down huge criminal network that flooded Devon with drugs

A total of 13 people have been sentenced to more than 80 years and five months in prison for their roles in organised crime conspiracies that flooded Devon with millions of pounds’ worth of illegal drugs.

he investigation - named Operation Midriver - saw officers carry out painstaking analysis of thousands of communications, a review of 38 mobile phones and more than 50,000 messages, financial investigations and several interventions to bring down the criminal network.

The defendants: 

The following individuals have been convicted of various charges relating to the supply and production of Class A and Class B drugs and sentenced over various dates – the most recent of which being Thursday 8 October.

• Edward Stoddart, 38, of Manor Street, Dittisham, sentenced to 12 years plus a further six months for the illegal possession of a mobile phone in prison.
• Leon Harding, 22, of Queen Elizabeth Drive, Paignton, sentenced to eight years and four months.
• David Barnes, 76, of Plymouth Road, Buckfastleigh, sentenced to 45 months.
• Matthew Villiers, 48, of Hill Park Road, Torquay, sentenced to five years and 10 months.
• Keeley Nurden, 54, of Pettits Road, Dagenham, sentenced to four and a half years.
• Daimian Sloan, 40, from Torquay, sentenced to 40 months.
• Daniel Passmore, 45 from Princes Road, Torquay, sentenced to seven years.
• Corey Murphy, 21, from Paignton, sentenced to eight years and nine months.
• Kiara Banks, 21, of Barnfield Road, Paignton, sentenced to five years and nine months.
• Finley Gribble, 24, of Oaklands Park, Buckfastleigh, sentenced to four and a half years and three months for the possession of a lock knife.
• George Langford, 21, of New Park Road, Paignton, sentenced to six years and nine months.
• Shane Cozens, 28, of Hoyles Road, Paignton, sentenced to seven years and two months.
• Ben Haigh, 32, from Torbay, sentenced to 33 months.

Harding, Murphy and Banks were also sentenced for a kidnapping, along with Natasha Yates, 33, of Hayes Road, Totnes, and Martin Trant, 43, of Hayes Road, Totnes.

Yates and Trant were sentenced at Exeter Crown Court on 20 July 2025 and given suspended sentences.

Langford pleaded guilty to a conspiracy to import cannabis along with James Barry, 44, of Marldon Road, Paignton.

Barry was sentenced to four years eight months at Exeter Crown Court on 28 April 2026 for what the judge described as a “highly sophisticated operation” in which Barry held a “senior and heavily trusted position”.

The following three defendants have entered guilty pleas to drug supply charges and will be sentenced at a later date.

• Kaiden Edwards, 21, of Ramshill Road, Paignton.
• Vanda Galamba, 50, of Stour Road, Dagenham, Essex.
• Luke Barbour, 39, from Torbay.

The initial conspiracy

During the various court hearings, barristers described how the initial conspiracy was in operation between June 2023 and June 2024 and involved the supply of Class A and B drugs to South Devon from London and elsewhere.

The conspiracy was organised locally by Stoddart but involved the other defendants who each played their roles in the arrangement, transportation, storage, and ongoing supply of these drugs.  

Evidence included the sending of parcels of cash from Post Offices in Devon to Nurden’s home address in Dagenham and courier runs made by Barnes, Villiers and others to collect Class A and B drugs from Nurden and Galamba’s addresses.

Drugs were stored, adulterated and supplied from locations including a storage unit in Ashburton controlled by Stoddart, and a property in Hill Park Road, Torquay, occupied by Villiers.

On19 August 2023 Stoddart was stopped driving his Audi TT at Middlemoor, Exeter. While an officer was talking to Stoddart, Sloan took a carrier bag from the footwell and placed it in a rucksack.  Sloan worked for Stoddart, supplying drugs on his behalf.

Sloan then attempted to leave the scene by running though police headquarters, before being detained nearby.

The rucksack was located by Police Dog Floyd and found to contain amphetamine and heroin.

Stoddart was bailed but stopped again in October 2023. Enquiries led police to a caravan rented by Stoddart’s then partner accessed by a key card found in Stoddart’s possession.

Inside the caravan, officers found Stoddart’s passport and birth certificate as well as 4.5kg of cocaine, 474.62g of heroin, large amounts of cutting agent, 672.59g of MDMA and 659.17g of spice among other paraphernalia, drug-related items and Post Office receipts.

The drugs had a combined value in excess of £400,000.

Examination of Stoddart’s phones then led to the identification of a number of others within the conspiracy through call records and messages.

Further search warrants located further significant quantities of Class A and B drugs.

The kidnapping

The kidnapping related to an incident on 7 November 2024 when Harding, Banks and Murphy formed a plan to kidnap Ben Haigh and enlisted Yates and Trant with the promise of Class A drugs for their help.  Haigh worked for Harding, selling drugs on his behalf.

Harding, Banks and Murphy were angry at Haigh over money and drugs they perceived he owed them/had lost.

Following numerous threats made towards Haigh, he was located in Brixham, forced into a car by Yates and Trant and driven away. 

This vehicle was driven to a meeting point where Haigh was transferred to the car driven by Banks, in which Harding and Murphy were passengers. The car had initially been driven around whilst they tried to locate Haigh.

Police officers took up pursuit and were able to stop the car.

Haigh was retrieved unharmed and those involved arrested either at the scene or in the days that followed.

The second conspiracy

The second part of Operation Midriver drug supply was in operation between October 2023 and May 2025 and involved the supply of heroin, cocaine, crack cocaine and cannabis to the South West, in particular Torquay but also down to Newquay.

This phase of the investigation also involved a conspiracy to import cannabis from Thailand between July 2024 and May 2025 involving Murphy, Gribble and Cozens.

Drugs identified during this part of the operation had a wholesale value of more than £3million.

Harding was the main organiser within this conspiracy, using numerous aliases and phone numbers in order to manage his drugs supply operation and in an attempt to avoid detection.

Harding co-ordinated with other defendants to again source, adulterate and supply Class A drugs.

Detailed notes of monies owed to him were found in the course of the police investigation.

He was not only involved in the supply of large quantities of drugs to others who were in turn involved in the supply of drugs, but he also ran his own network of street dealers who supplied drugs directly to users.

On 9 March 2024 a member of the public called 999 to report a burglary. Officers attended and found evidence in the kitchen and the attic that the premises was being used to adulterate powdered cocaine and also produce crack cocaine.

Harding’s passport was found in a man bag in the kitchen, and a considerable amount of drugs were located.

On 6 June 2024 a white van was seized by the DVLA in Torquay. Inside was heroin and cannabis worth more than £100,000.

These drugs were attributed to Harding.

On the 13 September 2024, a stolen vehicle on cloned plates was located on Gribble’s driveway in Buckfastleigh.

A search of his address uncovered £14,000 in cash, and just under a kilo of cocaine with a potential street value of £76,800.

His mobile phone contained evidence of his drugs supply activity with Harding and Murphy, including their involvement in the importation of cannabis from Thailand.

Harding was arrested on 26 July 2024 on the M5 and taken to Exeter custody. He was found in possession of high-value designer goods and empty sleeves used to secure bundles of cash, concealed within the gearbox housing.

Cannabis importation from the US and Canada

This aspect of the case relates to the arrest of Barry in October 2025 for importation linked to parcels sent to his block of flats, and Langford in November 2025 after a warrant was successfully executed at his home address.

Initially these investigations were unrelated, however evidence contained within their mobile phones indicated both men were working together importing cannabis from North America.

A total of 94 parcels were identified through tracking references found on phones seized from both defendants. 38 of the parcels were sent to Barry’s block of flats. 24 parcels were seized by Border Force and found to contain herbal cannabis and cannabis resin.

It was estimated that between them Barry and Langford imported just shy of 250kg of cannabis worth millions of pounds when sold at street level.

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Detective Chief Inspector Adam Worth, from the Serious and Organised Crime Unit, said: "This investigation demonstrates the determination of Devon and Cornwall Police and our partners to disrupt and dismantle organised criminal networks operating across the South West and beyond.

“This was a substantial and complex investigation involving detectives and a wide range of specialist policing teams, including intelligence, covert policing, digital investigations and financial investigators. Their collective efforts, alongside our close partnership with the CPS Complex Case Unit, ensured those responsible were brought to justice.

“I hope this case serves as a warning to anyone considering involvement in the supply of controlled drugs, particularly young people who may be attracted by the perceived rewards. The reality is that organised crime causes significant harm to communities and those involved risk lengthy prison sentences, the loss of their liberty and lasting consequences for their future.

“The Serious and Organised Crime Unit remains committed to targeting organised crime groups, protecting our communities and bringing offenders to justice."

CPS Complex Case Unit Specialist Prosecutor Ann Hampshire and Senior Crown Prosecutor Charlotte Ream said: “We worked closely with the Police on this complex and wide-ranging investigation to ensure that the criminal networks were dismantled and brought to justice.

“This was a significant operation which also involved the importation of a large quantity of cannabis into the United Kingdom.

“The evidence presented by the prosecution demonstrated that this organised crime group played a central role in arranging for the drugs to be shipped from North America and delivered into this country.

“The quantity of cannabis involved, valued at more than £1 million, was clearly intended for onward distribution and would have generated substantial criminal profits.

“Further action will be taken to trace and confiscate the monetary proceeds of these crimes.

“The Crown Prosecution Service will continue to work closely with investigators to build strong cases against those responsible. Where the evidence meets our legal tests, we will prosecute fairly and robustly, irrespective of an offender’s position within a criminal operation.

“Our role is to make independent prosecution decisions based on the evidence and the public interest, and to ensure that the impact of this offending is properly placed before the courts.”