Three Sunderland men snared after more than 12,000 illegal tablets were intercepted

Former Nissan worker Sean Woodhouse, 44,and Nashad Farid, 37, played "leading" roles in the operation which saw a number of packages distributed among the group.

Newcastle Crown Court heard that Woodhouse was initially being supplied by a contact in India before turning to Farid for the illegal goods.

He was also involved with Richard Allen, 45, and Gary Conlon, 61, who were assisting with the operation.

Paul Cross, prosecuting, said told the court how the crime came to be revealed and the defendants charged.

"Mr Woodhouse was a supplier using Mr Conlon and Mr Allen's address as well as his own,” he told the court.

"Mr Conlon and Mr Allan each received a parcel and another parcel addressed to them was intercepted on the 3rd of February 2020.

"The UK Border Force intercepted two further packages which each contained approximately 6,000 alprazolam tablets. The total was 12,113 tablets.

"The sender was in India. One parcel was addressed to Mr Woodhouse but to the previous tenant and the other was addressed to Mr Allen at his address."

The court heard that another two packages were then intercepted on July 13, 2020.

Mr Cross said that one was addressed to Woodhouse, again using the previous tenant's name as a decoy, and that the other was meant for Mr Conlon's house.Woodhouse was later arrested and a search of his address found a further 2,500 tablets alongside over £1,700 in cash.

A subsequent examination of their mobile phones revealed Conlon texted Woodhouse saying, "The eagle has landed", in reference to the arrival of the drugs.The court also heard how deliveries made by Farid to Woodhouse were sent from Rochdale, Greater Manchester, close to where he lives.

All four defendants pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply a class C drug. They were sentenced at Newcastle Crown Court on Friday, April 27.

Tony Cornberg, defending Woodhouse, who has 30 previous convictions, told the court hearing his client was remorseful for his actions.

Mr Cornberg said: "His last conviction was 2013. He's been able to stay out of trouble for six years. This offence is between three and four years old now.

"He has spent that period working hard as he should have been instead of committing these offences.

"He worked for Nissan for 12 years before all of this."

The court heard Allen and Conlon played lesser roles in the operation, and that Farid was relevantly lightly convicted.

Judge Robert Adams sentenced Farid, of Sussex Street, Rochdale, to 21 months behind bars, suspended for 21 months, alongside 240 hours of unpaid work.

Woodhouse, of North Hylton Road, Sunderland, was handed 12 months suspended for 18 months with 180 hours and 32 rehabilitation days.

Allen, of Rockingham Road, Sunderland, who had 56 previous convictions, was given a 12-month community order.

Conlon, of Colombo Road, Sunderland, who had just one previous conviction, was sentenced to a two-month community order.