Man sentenced for drug and criminal property offences – Kidlington

Following a Thames Valley Police investigation, a man has today (12/5) been given a further prison sentence after he admitted being concerned in the supply of class B drugs and possessing criminal property offences in Kidlington.

Paul Smith, aged 31, now residing at HMP Oakwood, pleaded guilty to a count each of being concerned in the supply of amphetamine and acquiring/using or possessing criminal property, namely £18,530 in case, in a hearing at Oxford Crown Court, on 3 February this year.

Returning to the same court today, Smith was given a sentence of three years’ imprisonment for the drug supply offence and 12 months for the proceeds of crime offence.

His sentence will run concurrently to the 11 years and four months’ sentence he received in May last year after he was convicted of a number of other offences as a member of an Organised Crime Group (OCG,) which attacked ATMs and targeted commercial premises and rural communities across the Thames Valley and South East England.

Five other members of that group were also jailed after officers dismantled the group following the lengthy investigation.

Operation Jackknife was the force’s investigation into the OCG, during which, officers located 60kg of amphetamine with a street value of around £60,000 and a significant quantity of cash, linked to Smith, at a location in Kidlington on 7 June 2020.

The find was not connected with the OCG, but Smith was arrested on 12 June 2020 and charged with the offences on 14 October 2021.

Investigating officer Detective Inspector Lorna Briggs, from the Operation Jackknife team, said: “Smith had played a significant role in an OCG that wreaked havoc across the Thames Valley and the southeast of England.

“In May last year, six men, including Smith, were jailed for a total of 74 years for the roles they played in a string of ATM thefts, commercial burglaries and other serious offences.

“During our intensive and lengthy investigation, officers conducting a search at a property in Kidlington found significant quantities of amphetamine, a class B drug.

“As a result, Smith was arrested for being concerned in the supply of these drugs, and pleaded guilty in February.

“He has now been sentenced for these offences, and he will be unable to continue his criminality.

“Operation Jackknife dismantled this OCG and put six offenders behind bars where they belong.

“Thames Valley Police will continue to robustly pursue and target OCGs, seeking to disrupt and dismantle such groups so they can no longer cause harm in our communities.

“My message to anybody involved in criminal gangs is we will never tire in seeking you out and bringing you to justice.”

KB

Paul Smith