A criminal gang who kidnapped and stole hundreds of thousands of pounds from a “vulnerable” man has been jailed for a total of 76 years.
The plot began to unravel when in December 2023 police were called to a flat in Irlam, Salford, after there was an anonymous report of concern for welfare.
Inside they found a man who said he had been forced to go to the flat with a bag over his head, and who asked them to take him away with them.
The victim said that he had been assaulted and tied up, and police officers found bindings on the bed, burn marks and bruises on his body where he had been tortured.
As the investigation into the man’s claims got underway detectives discovered that he had come into hundreds of thousands of pounds of cryptocurrency which the gang had been extorting from him for almost a year.
At the flat police uncovered an arsenal of weapons including guns and ammunition, a machete and a baseball bat, together with evidence pointing at two gang members.
Detectives discovered that the gang had repeatedly terrorised the victim, calling at his home to threaten him and also kidnapping him and taking him to the Cadishead area where he was held overnight, beaten up and threatened with being killed if he did not pay up.
In all the gang stole more than a hundred thousand pounds in cryptocurrency from the victim, even drugging him with morphine on one occasion.
Gradually investigators used high tech phone tracking techniques to begin to link gang members and DNA profiling from one of the weapons helped trap another.
They seven gang members are now beginning jail sentences totalling 76 years, two of them facing 20 years in jail for a variety of offences ranging from kidnapping, robbery, possessing a firearm and false imprisonment.
Investigating officer, Detective Sergeant Stephanie Bowling, said: “This was a challenging investigation which has thankfully resulted in these dangerous offenders being removed from the streets for a significant amount of time.
“While I know that this sentence won’t change or takeaway from the trauma that our victim was subjected to, I sincerely hope that it helps him move forward with his life, safe in the knowledge that these men are now behind bars.”
Detective Inspector Justin Bryant from our Salford district said: “These men showed a concerning propensity for violence and weren’t afraid to use a variety of formidable weapons to get what they want.
“I’d like to commend the victim for his bravery, and I hope he continues to recover from this experience.
“I not only hope that this sentencing acts as a deterrent to anyone who may be considering such violence, but I hope it reassures the communities of Greater Manchester that we will use all specialist resources and skills catch harmful offenders.”