North Yorkshire Police smash Birmingham to North Yorkshire drug gang

The gang ringleader is on the run with a warrant out for his arrest.

The seven operated a heroin and cocaine pipeline, bringing the drugs from Birmingham and selling them to addicts in the Scarborough area.  They nicknamed themselves the “Ghost” gang.

But in the early hours of January 16, 2018,  police stopped a vehicle containing four Birmingham members of the gang, weapons and drug scales in Scarborough and began a six-year campaign to put the group behind bars.

Detective Constable Darrel Temple from Scarborough and Ryedale CID, who headed the operation against the gang, said: “North Yorkshire Police ‘ain’t afraid of no ghost’ or any other drug dealers for that matter, and we set about a complex investigation to dismantle the gang.”

Detectives used mobile phone analysis and automatic number plate recognition and other techniques to undercover the gang’s operations and linked the West Midlands quartet to North Yorkshire dealers including one then aged 16.

“It has taken the best part of six years to secure justice against the offenders,” said Det Con Temple. “This effort shows our determination to rid our community of the harms caused by drug-related crime.”

All but masterminder Donalds who failed to attend a court hearing were sentenced in two hearings at York Crown Court.  All excluding Patrick King pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply heroin and cocaine.

The gang members are: ringleader Riccardo Nathaniel Donalds, 36, who ran the operation from his base in Oscott Road, Birmingham, where he withdrew the drugs profits other gang members in Scarborough paid into his bank account.

Police are expected to issue a public appeal to find him.

Patrick King (Image: North Yorkshire Police)

Donalds was in the car stopped in Scarborough, which was driven by Patrick King, 38, of Osler Street, Birmingham.  King delayed the court case against the gang by going on the run.  After he was caught, he was convicted at trial of conspiracy to supply cocaine and heroin and was jailed for four and a half years.

Also in the car were

Javough Ennis (left) and Daniel Ellis (Image: North Yorkshire Police)

Daniel Keith Ellis, 30, of Oscott Road, Birmingham, jailed for three and a half years

Javough Denmar Ennis, 27, of Oscott Road, Birmingham, jailed for two years.

Neil Gordon (Image: North Yorkshire Police)

Neil Kenneth Gordon, now 22, of Sandstone Road, Eastfield, was  16 when the gang used him to sell drugs in Scarborough in 2018. He was jailed for two and a half years.  His sentence also covered separate offences of being concerned in the supply of cocaine and cannabis between September 2022 and March 2023 and possession with intent to supply cocaine and cannabis in March 2023.

Theo Waldron (Image: North Yorkshire Police)

Theo John Waldron, 29, of Longwestgate, Scarborough, was arrested in the North Yorkshire town carrying heroin for sale nine days after the car was stopped.   He was later jailed for four years for possession of Class A drugs with intent and was given a 15-month  suspended prison sentence for his part in the gang.

Christina Xiourroupa (Image: North Yorkshire Police)

Donalds’ girlfriend Christina Stelious Xiourroupas, 35, of Old Grange Road, Birmingham, was jailed for three and a half years.  The gang used her bank account as well as his to move money from Scarborough to Birmingham.