Two men used a painting business as a front for a large scale drug operation. Police shut them down.
Ibell and Mooney owned a decorating company. They used its vehicles to move cannabis and held secret meetings for crime. Their operation grew bigger over time, leading them to bring in Edward Kaye to help grow cannabis in Widnes.
An investigation called Operation Leonardo started and found messages on EncroChat. Police saw Ibell discussing drug deals, using the name “Holysoda.” He plotted to supply cocaine and cannabis between March and June 2020.
Police found evidence of Ibell’s drug sales, estimating he likely sold 43 kilos of cannabis during the EncroChat period. Messages also showed cocaine deals were slow, likely due to COVID-19. Ibell probably sold one to three kilos of cocaine.
Police found pictures showing a hand holding cannabis, and forensics confirmed it was Paul Ibell’s hand. He also worked closely with Mooney and Kaye to create a cannabis supply network that reached across Cheshire and north Wales.
Ibell and Mooney continued their businesses, also controlling the crime group. They received cannabis from Albanian suppliers in an operation that went nationwide. They stored the drugs in rural stash houses and sold them to customers. The group controlled several properties for their crimes, with Balderton and Ellesmere Port addresses acting as stash houses.
Kaye helped source and tend a cannabis farm located near Wrexham, north Wales. Police raided the gang’s main location and found over 60 cannabis plants there. Other places held cannabis, cash, and equipment. Ibell, Mooney, and Kaye sold at least 200 kilos and their operation spanned Chester, Merseyside, and north Wales.
Police arrested the men on March 6, 2024, and charged them with conspiracy to supply cannabis. Ibell also faced cocaine charges linked to EncroChat. All three men admitted their guilt, and they were sentenced in Chester Crown Court on Wednesday, February 26.
Ibell received a 16-year prison sentence, Mooney was sentenced to five years, and Kaye got three years and four months. A police chief commented on the case, saying the men were operating in a sophisticated way, selling drugs while benefiting financially, and thinking their businesses hid their crimes.
Police were ahead of them, gathering proof. Ibell and Mooney got drugs from Albanian groups. Operation Leonardo stopped a Chester crime group. Police also targeted the Albanian group, seizing vehicles and cannabis worth £120,000. They arrested people on drug and immigration charges. The police hope this case gives the community reassurance and shows their commitment to stopping organized crime.