Four gang members who sold cocaine, ecstasy, ketamine and cannabis have been jailed for a total of more than 40 years.

Police raided eight properties across Harlow and North Weald in June 2019.

The lengthy investigation by the West Operation Raptor team saw them seize in total nearly five kilos of cocaine worth £209,000, half a kilo of cannabis worth £3,000, 400 ecstasy tablets worth £8,000 and ketamine worth £1,400.

During their investigation the officers also seized more than £40,000 in cash and carried out nine warrants.

Chelmsford Crown Court heard how the organised crime group was run by 29-year-old Khalifa Elgazzar and 28-year-old Nicholas Glynn.

The pair were orchestrating the sale of the Class A and B drugs using a number of runners to deal for them.

The gang came to the attention of Operation Raptor in August 2019 when they arrested Aaron Francis-Jackson, aged 28, of The Hoo, Harlow, after watching him carrying out a suspected drug deal and was found with more than £31,000 of drugs and subsequently jailed for four-and-a-half years.

Months later, in December 2018, their investigation led them to raid the home of 49-year-old Craig Willis in Woodcroft, Harlow.

He was also found to have drugs worth more than £30,000 and he too was subsequently jailed for four years.

Gang leader Khalifa Elgazzar of Mark Hall Moors, Harlow, was found guilty of two counts of conspiracy to supply Class A drugs and two counts of conspiracy to supply Class B drugs and was sentenced to 10 years.

Epping Forest Guardian:

Khalifa Elgazzar

Gang leader Nicholas Glynn of Mark Hall Moors, Harlow, was found guilty of two counts of conspiracy to supply Class A drugs and two counts of conspiracy to supply Class B drugs and was sentenced to 10 years.

Epping Forest Guardian:

Nicholas Glynn

Alan Lupton, 43 of Watersmeet, Harlow. was found guilty of conspiracy to supply Class A drugs and was jailed for seven years.

Epping Forest Guardian:

Alan Lupton

Sean Blomiley, 47, of Woodwards, Harlow. was found guilty of two counts of conspiracy to supply Class A drugs and two counts of conspiracy to supply Class B drugs and was jailed for six years.

Epping Forest Guardian:

Sean Blomiley

A fifth man, 38-year-old Troy Smith of Long Ley, Harlow. was found guilty of two counts of conspiracy to supply Class A drugs and two counts of conspiracy to supply Class B drugs. He is on bail and will return to the court for sentence next month.

Epping Forest Guardian:

The drugs stash seized following the section raid by officers

Following the sentencing Det Sgt James Paget said: “It was clear from the amount of Class A and B drugs seized that Elgazzar and Glynn were running a sophisticated organised crime gang over a long period of time with several ‘runners’ under their employ.

“Their intention was to flood the streets of Harlow and surrounding areas with a potent mix of Class A and B drugs whilst lining their own pockets. Unfortunately for them Operation Raptor put paid to their criminal enterprise.”

If you have information about drug or gang-related crime in your community contact Essex Police on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.