Wigan-based organised crime gang jailed for 47 years

Four members of an organised crime gang have been jailed for almost 50 years following an investigation into a multi‑million‑pound firearms and drugs operation.

The gang has been jailed following an investigation by Greater Manchester Police's Serious Organised Crime Group into an 'industrial‑scale tablet manufacturing set-up' in Wigan.

Callum Dorian (07/06/1990), of Guilford Road, Eccles, received a 12‑year prison sentence in September 2024 for conspiracy to supply firearms and conspiracy to produce and supply Class C drugs.

John Eric Spiby (Senior) (04/05/1945), of Lower Green Lane, Astley, Tyldesley, was jailed at Bolton Crown Court (27/1/26) for 16 years and six months for conspiracy to produce and supply Class C drugs, two counts of possessing a firearm, possession of ammunition, and perverting the course of justice.

His son, John Colin Spiby (Junior) (30/11/1988), of Britannia Street, Salford, has been sentenced to nine years in prison for conspiracy to produce and supply Class C drugs.

Both had denied the offences but were found guilty after a trial in November 2025.

Lee Ryan Drury (30/03/1980), of Hassall Street, Stalybridge, pleaded guilty midway through the trial to conspiracy to produce and supply Class C drugs and has been jailed for nine years and nine months.

The court heard how between November 2021 and May 2022, an investigation was launched following evidence obtained from Operation Venetic.

Venetic was launched in 2020 in response to the growing threat of organised crime facilitated by encrypted communications platforms, particularly EncroChat.

Dorian was attributed to the handle “Fallensoda”. Messages and images linked to this handle showed the facilitation and supply of firearms including AK‑47s, an Uzi, Tec‑9s, a Scorpion, a Grand Power pistol, silencers, and ammunition.

The messages also showed the orchestration of the large‑scale production of counterfeit diazepam tablets containing etizolam.

As the operation grew, the group was placed under surveillance, with officers identifying several key properties being used to carry out their illegal activities.

A cottage located behind the home of Spiby Senior, was found to contain an industrial‑scale tablet manufacturing set-up capable of producing tens of thousands of tablets per hour.

Spiby Sr also purchased an industrial unit on Albion Street in Swinton in 2021 with the aim of converting it to expand the group’s production capacity.

A shipping container on Chaddock Lane in Astley, rented by Drury and controlled by the group, was used to store materials and millions of counterfeit tablets awaiting distribution.

In an attempt to remain undetected, Drury created a fake company in August 2020, complete with a website advertising tablet presses, mixers, packaging machines, and powdered supplements.

By adding this layer of so‑called legitimacy, the group was able to operate under the guise of a lawful business while running a highly profitable criminal enterprise.

On 1 April 2022, officers observed Dorian and Drury loading a hire van with boxes from the Chaddock Lane storage site. The vehicle was intercepted and found to contain 2.6 million counterfeit Diazepam tablets, with an estimated street value of between £1,040,000 and £5,200,000.

On the 17 May 2022, officers carried out a number of warrants which resulted in the seizure of three viable firearms, ammunition, cash, industrial tablet‑manufacturing machinery, and significant quantities of counterfeit tablets and raw materials.

All four men were arrested and remanded into custody. During the investigation, officers estimated that the group produced counterfeit tablets with a bulk value of between £7.2m and £12.9m, and a potential street value ranging from £57.6m to £288m.

Detective Inspector Alex Brown, from the Serious Organised Crime Group, said: “These four individuals showed absolutely no regard for human life or public safety. All they were interested in was lining their own pockets with significant financial gain.

“They operated a fully industrialised drug‑manufacturing business capable of producing millions of counterfeit tablets containing a highly dangerous substance. The volume of tablets we recovered – along with the sophisticated machinery – demonstrated how deeply embedded this group was in the illicit drug supply chain.

“Alongside the drug production, this group was also linked to the supply of a range of deadly firearms, including automatic weapons and ammunition.

"This potentially deadly combination presented a serious threat to communities not just in Greater Manchester but across the country and beyond.

“The sentences should serve as a clear warning: organised crime will not be tolerated.

"We will continue to pursue those who seek to profit from harm, and we will use every power and tool available to disrupt and dismantle serious organised crime gangs.”