A GANG sentenced for a combined 48 years and 10 months committed a litany of crimes in the “pursuit of riches” through selling drugs.

Known as the DM Crew, the gang were sentenced today (May 1) at Winchester Crown Court for the roles they played in during the operation which last from March 2017 to July 2018.

During the four-day hearing the court heard how Ahmet Karagozlu, 20, of Stow Crescent, Walthamstow was seen to be heading up the operation known as the WEZ network, which targeted vulnerable drug users in Basingstoke to 'cuckoo' their homes and ensure their deals were done behind closed doors and not on the streets.

Prosecutor Mark Ruffell said that Ahmet Karagozlu was responsible for organising the distribution of the drugs was in possession on the coveted “drugs line” and had been responsible for recruiting a person aged 14-years-old to run drugs for the gang.

Sentencing judge, Richard Parkes QC said: “Even though there were others that were trusted with the WEZ phone line you [Karagozlu] organised the distribution of this conspiracy for the best part of 10 months.”

The court heard that along with Ahmet Karagozlu, his younger brother Halil, of Stow Crescent, Walthamstow and Ozlem Simsek, 22, of no fixed address, were seen to take a leading role with in the conspiracy.

Halil was seen as Ahmet’s second in command and in evidence heard during the course of sentencing his phone could be tracked to a number of addresses in Basingstoke and Tadley where the gang was cuckooing.

When he was arrested on July 19, he was found to have £12,000 in cash on his person as well as electronic scales used for weighing the drugs.

For Simsek, the court heard how she worked closely with Ahmet Karagozlu from May 2018 and was responsible for holding onto large quantities of money and even on occasions trusted with the drugs line.

Judge Parkes remarked: “You [Simsek] had an active interest in the dealing of drugs, even waking up Ahmet Karagozlu to make sure he sent the group text to drug dealers.”

As well as those who had a leading role, the gang had ‘foot-soldiers’ like Kaan Cicek who would help run drugs for the gang between August 2017 coming back and forth from London.

The 18-year-old from Walthamstow, would actively boast about his dealings on social media, posting videos with “wads of cash” and “rapping to drill music” about his success.

The court heard how Cicek would also be a chaperon for a younger member of the gang who had been recruited to run drugs.

Cicek, known as ‘Caps’ was also involved in a stabbing which surrounded a drugs dispute with two local drug addicts in October 2017.

For Byron Whitfield, 18, of Shortlands Road, London and Donnell Willocks, 22, of Sansom Road, London their roles involved in the gang were during the early part of the conspiracy, but both were at some point in possession of the drugs line.

Willocks was involved form March 2017 until June 2017, where as Whitfield was seen as the link to the drugs network starting back up again in September 2017 after a period of laying dormant.

Matthew Keeley, 40, of Reynards Close, Tadley, initially became involved in the gang as a drug user himself.

The court heard how Keeley allowed the gang to use his property as a “safe house” rather than him being cuckooed.

He later then became a runner for the gang between May 2018 and June 2018 before he was arrested at his address along with Ahmet Karagozlu and Simsek on July 18.

For her part in the conspiracy Diane Brill, 42, from Basingstoke, was cuckooed under the proviso that she would be able to get free drugs.

However, her connection with the gang stopped after the October stabbing.

Three other people had been sentenced in connection with the same conspiracy. Tyler Farley, 19, of Alderney Gardens, Essex, was sentenced to four years and nine months in jail, Faith Willis of Silverwood Place, London, was sentenced to 33 months in jail and Ian Brown 21, of no fixed abode was sentenced to 30 months in jail when they appeared at Winchester Crown Court on December 3 last year.

The sentences received today at Winchester Crown Court:

Ahmet Karagozlu, 20, of Stow Crescent, Walthamstow, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply Class A drugs. He was sentenced to eight years and eight months.

Halil Karagozlu, 18, of Stow Crescent, Walthamstow, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply Class A drugs. He was sentenced to six years and six months in a young offenders institution.

Byron Whitfield, 18, of Shortlands Road, London, was found guilty at an earlier trial of conspiracy to supply Class A drugs. He was sentenced to seven years in a young offenders institution.

Kaan Cicek, 18, of Walthamstow, London, was found guilty at an earlier trial of two counts of wounding and one count of conspiracy to supply Class A drugs. He was sentenced to 10 years in jail.

Donnell Willocks, 22, of Sansom Road, London, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply Class A drugs. He was sentenced to five years in jail.

Ozlem, Simsek, 22, of no fixed address, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply Class A drugs. She was sentenced to three years and four months in jail. She had also pleaded guilty to five drugs related issues to a case in Ipswich, which she was sentenced to a further five years in jail to run consecutively.

Matthew Keeley, 40, of Reynards Close, Tadley, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply Class A drugs. He was sentenced to two years and eight months in jail.

Diane Brill, 42, from Basingstoke, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply Class A drugs. She was sentenced to two years in jail, which has been suspended to 18 months. She was also ordered to complete 175 hours unpaid work and 25 rehabilitation activity days.