Six people have been sentenced to more than 60 years in prison following a Greater Manchester Police investigation into a drug importation conspiracy worth over £1 million.
The case concluded at Bolton Crown Court on Wednesday 9 April following a two year investigation known as Operation Image.
The investigation began in March 2024 after UK Border Force officers seized 8 kilos of high purity cocaine from a flight arriving from Jamaica. The drugs were destined for residential addresses across Greater Manchester.
Further arrests were made in May 2025 and December 2025 after officers carried out warrants at addresses in Gorton, Didsbury and Stockport. At a property in Gorton, officers seized a further 4 kilos of cocaine, thousands of MDMA and 2CB tablets, a kilo of cannabis and £100000 in cash. The total estimated street value of drugs recovered during the investigation exceeded £1 million.
During the trial, jurors heard evidence of contact between several defendants and a man in Jamaica who had previously been deported from the UK. Bank records showed money transfers to him, which two defendants claimed were for the purchasing of goats, not drugs.
Darren Bailey, of Lisburne Lane, Offerton, Stockport, was found guilty of conspiracy to import class A drugs, conspiracy to supply class A drugs, conspiracy to produce class B drugs and conspiracy to supply class B drugs. He was sentenced to 19 years.
Nathan Charles, of Highfield Range, Gorton, was found guilty of the same offences and sentenced to 17 years.
Adrian Stephenson, of Peers Street, Bury, was found guilty of conspiracy to import class A drugs and sentenced to nine years and six months.
Panashe Nyamariwata, of Adelphi Road, Salford, was found guilty of conspiracy to import class A drugs and sentenced to six years.
Charlene Bellamy, of Fairway Road, Oldham, was found guilty of conspiracy to import class A drugs and sentenced to five years.
Kamica Morris, of Hanworth Close, Manchester, was found guilty of conspiracy to import class A drugs and sentenced to four years.
Hannah Conlon, of Cherry Avenue, Bury, was found guilty of conspiracy to import class B drugs after more than three kilos of cannabis were seized from parcels sent from America to her home between January and March 2024. She is due to be sentenced at Liverpool Crown Court on Monday 20 April 2026.
Detective Constable Ryan O’Hanlon from Greater Manchester Police said “This investigation has taken drugs off the street worth over a million pounds. Drugs ruin lives and the crimes that are committed to fund habits that dealer’s profit from, blight our communities.
“It shows the lengths that this group went to for their own greed; bringing drugs into the UK from abroad to maximise their profits with no thought for the misery that their actions cause.
“Officers have worked tirelessly for over two years to ensure that these offenders were brought to justice – executing several warrants and gathering countless pieces of evidence which led to the jury seeing through their lies and finding all guilty.
“Today’s sentences reflect the serious nature of the crimes they committed, and I am thankful they are now behind bars, and away from the communities that officers work tirelessly to protect.”
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