Basildon drugs gang who used dog breeding clinic as hub

Seven members of the gang, led by Paul Austin, 47, of Burnt Mills Road, Basildon, have been caged for buying and selling drugs as well as money laundering. 

Austin used his business, a dog breeding clinic, as a base for the operation and a key meeting place for members of the gang. Cash was deposited at the business and laundered in a bid to cover their tracks. 

Left to right: Wesley Nice, Lee Mallin, Malcom Maxted, Darren Witteridge, Teresa Kelly (Image: Essex Police)

Austin worked alongside Daniel French, 39, of London Road, in Sevenoaks, Kent, to head up the gang and the police investigation identified 14kg of cocaine purchased by French and Austin, which was sold on by other members of the group. 

The gang used an online encrypted network they believed would hide their identities before it was cracked by specialist detectives. 

Doors smashed down - Police carried out 11 raids in October 2022 (Image: Essex Police)

Det Sgt Stephen Robson, of the serious organised crime unit, said: “This was a substantial investigation, uncovering a network of criminals who thought they could operate with impunity as they moved vast sums of money and quantities of cocaine.

“They came up against our dedicated serious and organised crime unit, which was able to piece together the complex web of communications between the members of this organised enterprise.”

Some of the cash seized in the raids (Image: Essex Police)

Teresa Kelly, 50, of Chalk End, Basildon, operated as a money launderer, collecting and counting profit generated from drug supply.

Wesley Nice, 45, of Broomfields, Basildon, was responsible for physically distributing cocaine to customers. He also ran a side business alongside Darren Witteridge, 45, of Long Riding, Basildon, selling cocaine, MDMA and cannabis.

Lee Mallin, 42, of Oak Road, Grays, was a cocaine dealer distributing the drugs to street-level dealers.

Illicit - police seized bricks of cocaine (Image: Essex Police)

Malcom Maxted, 50, of Daiglen Drive, South Ockendon, transported cash and cocaine. Austin, French, Mallin and Maxted admitted conspiracy to supply cocaine and money laundering.

Witteridge admitted two counts of conspiracy to supply cocaine. Nice admitted two counts of conspiracy to supply cocaine and money laundering, while Kelly admitted money laundering and being concerned in the supply of a Class B drug.

Some of the drugs seized (Image: Essex Police)

The sentences passed down were:

• Austin: 12 years and six months’ imprisonment
• French: 11 years and ten months’ imprisonment
• Nice: 12 years and 11 months’ imprisonment
• Mallin: Four years and nine months’ imprisonment. 
• Maxted: Three years’ imprisonment
• Witteridge: 11 years and five months’ imprisonment
• Kelly: Three years and four months’ imprisonment.

Drugs - bags of white powder seized (Image: Essex Police)