Midland Cocaine Gang Convicted for Spreading Misery Across Warwickshire
A criminal network responsible for distributing cocaine throughout Warwickshire has been successfully prosecuted, with six individuals receiving sentences for their roles in a County Lines operation that authorities described as spreading misery, poverty, and crime across the region.
Key Figures and Their Sentences
The gang members were sentenced at Warwick Crown Court on Friday, April 17. Dipak Ram, 41, from Himley Close in Great Barr, Birmingham, was identified as the upward supplier and received an 11-year prison sentence along with a Serious Crime Prevention Order. Manjinder Pama, 45, formerly of Nuneaton, had an additional 33 months added to his existing six-year term for continuing to run the supply line from prison using coded language.
Other convicted individuals include Rachel Byrne, 34, from Worcestershire, sentenced to four years and nine months; Kamlesh Kaur, 40, from Hargreaves Street in Wolverhampton, sentenced to four years; Lisa Banks, 39, from Nuneaton, who received a two-year suspended sentence with rehabilitation activities and electronic curfew; and Shaun Neal, 39, from Bermuda Road in Nuneaton, given an 18-month suspended sentence with unpaid work and rehabilitation requirements.
Investigation Details and Seizures
The investigation began when Manjinder Pama was apprehended in June 2023 with £11,000 in cash and nearly £13,000 worth of cocaine. Despite his incarceration, he continued to coordinate the drug supply using coded phrases such as references to building materials. Police subsequently linked him to Rachel Byrne and Shaun Neal after Neal's vehicle was stopped later in 2023, leading to the discovery of an additional £13,000 of cocaine.
Further police work identified Kamlesh Kaur and Lisa Banks, both arrested in October 2023. Evidence review prompted the re-arrest of Byrne, Neal, and Kaur in November 2024. Upon Dipak Ram's arrest, detectives seized another £13,000 of cocaine and £10,000 in cash. The multi-year investigation by Warwickshire Police resulted in the seizure of tens of thousands of pounds in assets.
Police Statement on the Case
Detective Sergeant Daniel Lydster, who led the investigation, emphasized the destructive impact of the gang's activities. He stated, "Each one of these individuals was willing to spread misery, poverty and crime across Warwickshire to try to make some cash. This was a long, complex investigation and we couldn't be more pleased that we have broken up this group and presented them to the courts to be held accountable."
He added, "Cocaine fuels a chain of suffering that starts half way across the world and ends in damaging our communities here in Warwickshire – and anyone involved in its supply can expect to face justice." The group was charged with conspiracy to supply cocaine between November 2022 and August 2023, marking a significant victory in the fight against organized drug crime in the Midlands region.
