A MAN viewed as "untouchable" has been jailed along with two others following an exchange in Bradford which was part of a Class A drugs ring worth over £350,000.

Lee Harris, 43, of Castle Crescent in Dewsbury, and Nottinghamshire men Liam Gunn, 36, and Callum Lane, 22, were sentenced at Leeds Crown Court today (Thursday, November 30) after pleading guilty to conspiracy to supply class A drugs. 

Specialist West Yorkshire Police detectives said Harris - sentenced to nine years - was seen as a significant figure in organised crime circles.

Police began to investigate the group’s activities on November 23, 2022 after a drugs exchange was spotted in Bradford involving a black Volkswagen Golf driven by Lane.

The car was monitored and made off at speed from Nottinghamshire Police officers in the Sutton in Ashfield area later that evening.

The vehicle finally came to stop and was abandoned in the Huthwaite area, where Lane was located and arrested nearby.

Officers also recovered five kilos of cocaine with a street value of about £350,000 from the vehicle.

An investigation by West Yorkshire Police’s Precision Serious and Organised Crime Team identified Lane was acting on behalf of organised crime group heads Harris and Gunn resulting in a wider investigation beginning into the group’s activity.

In May 2023, those investigations culminated in a series of coordinated warrants being executed across West Yorkshire and Nottinghamshire utilising operational support units from both forces and specialist detectives from across West Yorkshire.

All three men were arrested with further Class A drugs, cash and encrypted telecommunication devices were located.

DS James Gross of West Yorkshire Police’s Programme Precision Team, said: “We welcome the sentencing of these men for their roles in what was a significant and highly organised drugs conspiracy operating between West Yorkshire and Nottinghamshire.

“Harris in particular held a notable position within organised crime groups and was viewed as something of an untouchable figure.

"He utilised a series of sophisticated methods to frustrate law enforcement and to maintain his operation security.

“A painstaking investigation utilising specialist departments working collaboratively across county borders discovered evidence to prove his role alongside Gunn and bring both men plus their conspirators to justice.”

He added: “These convictions could not have been brought without the closest co-operation between police officers in West Yorkshire and Nottinghamshire and demonstrates the capabilities both forces possess to combat this kind of organised criminality.”