A Mitcham man who helped run a £200,000 drugs operation has been jailed.

Frank Thomas, 32, of Saxonbury Close was charged with possession with intent to supply Class A drugs, production of cannabis and abstraction of electricity.

Following a hearing at Croydon Crown Court on June 12 he was jailed for five-and-a-half years.

The group of three were sentenced following an intelligence-led operation carried out by the Met’s Trident and Area Crime Command. Between September 2017 and April 2018 search warrants were executed at a number of addresses associated with the defendants across south London.

During the searches officers located three large cannabis factories and seized a large quantity of Class A drugs.

On April 3, 2018 during a search at one of the sites in Coulsdon, Thomas and Taylor Deacon, 28 of Caterham were arrested, having attempted to flee from police. Deacon was found to be in possession of a quantity of cash and Class A drugs.

Officers searched the home addresses of Thomas and Deacon and further Class A drugs were seized. Deacon was also found to be cultivating cannabis at his home address.

Sean Ryan, 45 of Belvedere, was arrested on April 11, 2018 when a warrant was executed at his address. A cannabis factory was located in an outbuilding in the garden.

Deacon and Thomas were deemed to be lead players in the enterprise, setting up and running cannabis factories at locations unconnected to him.

It is estimated the factories run by the criminal network were capable of producing an annual yield of cannabis with a street value of more than £200,000.

Throughout the course of the investigation an additional £11,000 worth of Class A drugs and more than £10,000 cash was seized.

Detective Sergeant Damian Hill, of the Met’s Trident and Area Crime Command, said: “This criminal gang benefitted considerably from their criminality and like many others in their position, assumed impunity.

“I am pleased with the results from court today, and I hope this case sends a clear message to others assuming they are beyond the law that we will identify and arrest those intent on producing and supplying drugs on the streets of London.

“Drug dealing and the associated criminality brings misery to the lives of many across London. We are committed to pursuing networks such as this, dismantling them and bringing those in charge to justice.”