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Three criminals from the Harborough district are among a 20-strong organised drugs gang who have faced justice in court.

Tommy Squires, 31, of Barnards Way, Kibworth Harcourt, Dillon Kidger, 27, of Anthony Drive, Thurnby, and Ryan Steers, 35, of Vedonis Road, Lutterworth, were all arrested by a specialist police squad fighting the cannabis and cocaine racket.

A investigation by the police’s East Midlands Special Operations Unit exposed and spotlighted a money-spinning drugs ring run by Reece White and Joseph Black.

Three criminals from the Harborough district are among a 20-strong organised drugs gang who have faced justice in court.

White supplied Black with “regular wholesale amounts of cocaine and cannabis”, said Leicestershire Police today.

Ringleader Black was arrested in August 2019.

And detectives quickly closed in on 18 more criminals from across the region involved in the major drugs network.

The gang included Squires, Kidger and Steers.

The offenders have all been sentenced at Leicester Crown Court over the last three months.

Squires was handed a 22-month jail term suspended for two years after he admitted conspiracy to supply cannabis.

He was also ordered to carry out 150 hours of unpaid work and made the subject of a three-month curfew from 8pm until 5am.

In a separate case, Squires also pleaded guilty to failing to provide a PIN code to his mobile device.

He received a further nine months imprisonment, to run consecutively, suspended for two years.

Kidger was imprisoned for 20 months suspended for two years after admitting two counts of conspiracy to supply cannabis.

He was also ordered to do 150 hours of unpaid work and given a three-month curfew order from 8pm to 5am.

Steers was handed 18 months behind bars suspended for two years after he admitted conspiracy to supply cannabis.

He was also told to do 80 hours of unpaid work and subjected to a three-month curfew order from 8pm to 6am.

Meanwhile, Reece White, 30, of Durnford Road, Wigston, was jailed for seven years six months after he admitted conspiracy to supply cocaine and conspiracy to supply cannabis.

White was also issued with a five-year Serious Crime Prevention Order which will begin when he is freed from prison.

Joseph Black, 29, of Alvaston, Derbyshire, was locked up for four years two months after pleading guilty to conspiracy to supply cocaine and conspiracy to supply cannabis.

Today PC Rosie Wood, who helped to spearhead the highly-complicated police probe, said: “As more investigations were carried out during this operation, officers identified more and more people involved in drugs supply.

“Over the past few years this has seen 20 people brought before the courts with the sentencings then being passed over the past three months.

“Drugs offending ruins lives and we will not tolerate it being brought into our communities,” said PC Wood.

“We will continue to act on information received and we will take all the steps required to bring those responsible before the courts.”