SQUADDIES RAN UKP2.5M DRUGS RING

A MAJOR drugs trial which has badly damaged the reputation of one of
Britain's most famous regiments was drawn to a close yesterday.

Customs officials believe that the 18-month investigation, codenamed
Operation Cruiser, involved the smuggling into Britain of up to UKP12m
of heroin, ecstasy, amphetamines and cocaine by soldiers and former
servicemen with the 39th Regiment Royal Artillery.

During the trial, it emerged that more than UKP1m of drugs had been
found in two taxi cabs in Liverpool. In all, UKP2.5m of drugs were
seized.

One of the men, Dale Mills, 26, was found guilty of importing
narcotics at Liverpool Crown Court yesterday. On Thursday two others -
Bombadier Kevin Jones, 31, and former gunner James Bull, 29 - were
convicted of taking part in the same two-year plot.

Six other men, four of them either serving or former members of the
regiment, based at Abermarle, near Newcastle upon Tyne, have already
pleaded guilty to various drug charges. They are serving soldiers
Peter Jackson, 29, Paul Bromiley, 30, and Billy Gee Stott; Paul
Wright, 29, a former gunner; and Peter O'Toole, 26, and 27-year-old
Darren Williams. All nine will be sentenced next week. A tenth man,
Jason Foster, 25, a lance bombardier, was cleared by the court.

The trial brings to an end one of the most extraordinary and
embarrassing cases ever to involve the military in Britain. Customs
officers hope it will also cut off one of the major drugs supply lines
to the North-west.

The ring was exposed two years ago after Customs officers grew
suspicious of a foot passenger who arrived at Dover in Kent on a ferry
from Calais. They found that the man had receipts for UKP4,500 cash
deposited during the previous month and he claimed he was "buying
property in Dusseldorf".

Officers were further alarmed when he walked over to a red Nissan
waiting to leave the docks. He climbed in, the car was pulled over
and, on a cloudy night in January 1996, the British Army fell under
suspicion of drug-running.

In the Nissan were two off-duty gunners from 39th Regiment Royal
Artillery back from Calais on the same sailing as their passenger.
They carried passports and authentic military identification.

There was no contraband in the car, and Customs officers were used to
soldiers travelling frequently to and from continental postings. But
why had Paul Bromiley and Peter Jackson picked-up Peter O'Toole in the
car park? Why would soldiers from barracks in the North-east travel
out from Hull and return two days later through Calais? And why had
two storage spaces been created in the car, concealed behind the rear
seat?

Customs let the three men go, but an investigation was launched which
revealed that the soldiers spent time off-duty using their private
cars and Army identification to run a 13-trip drugs caravan from
Holland to Liverpool.

"The Army were shaken," a Customs investigator said. "It was the first
time military personnel had been involved at this level. There have
been cases discovered of small quantities of drugs for personal use by
soldiers, but nothing on this scale."

The gang's trial heard that soldiers enjoyed a "privileged position as
travellers". But any privilege has now ended, according to Customs and
the Ministry of Defence (MoD).

"Customs officers haven't known since abolition of British forces
number plates if cars entering the country belonged to squaddies," the
Customs investigator said. "But an officer may still have been swayed

- - he gives a car a pull, the driver shows his passport and then
flashes a warrant card. The officer doesn't associate a soldier with
drugs smuggling."

Military Police seconded an investigator to work with the 20-member
Customs team, and co-operation has subsequently become routine,
including regular sharing of intelligence.

"We didn't think smuggling by soldiers happened before," a MoD
spokesman said. "Other men in 39th Regiment had noticed that something
wasn't quite right with these men - extra money in their pockets, car
loans being paid off, that sort of thing."

The soldiers were being paid between UKP2-5,000 a trip, a cheap rate
for loading a hatchback with a typical payload of eight kilograms of
drugs plus 48,000 tablets. But it was good money for men such as
Bromiley and Jones, gunners in their thirties taking home about UKP550
a month. Bromiley paid UKP27,525 into his TSB accounts during the 18
months.

When 39th Regiment took its multiple rocket launchers off on a tour of
duty in Cyprus in June 1996, regular runners were decommissioned. But
Jones remained in Britain and readily assumed the drug courier duties.
He bought a Honda Civic, made three runs to the continent, and banked
UKP22,800.

Suspicions at barracks of new-found wealth identified many of the
soldiers to the investigation team. But command was probably vested in
O'Toole, the foot passenger who first aroused suspicion. A 26-year-old
Liverpudlian who variously described himself as a Merchant Navy cook
or a painter and decorator, O'Toole's mobile phone and pager were
busy. He also handled distribution of the drugs in Liverpool and
banked UKP81,000 during the18 months.

It is a tale that has severely damaged the reputation of the regiment.
Its motto - Whither Right and Glory Lead - has been left tainted.

Checked-by: "Rich O'Grady"