FOUR Oxford men have been jailed for their ‘significant’ roles in a large-scale conspiracy to supply drugs across the county and other areas.

Kevin Whitworth, 24, of Temple Road, Oxford, Thomas Buckland, 24, of Copse Lane, Marston, Soloman Maasz, 24, of Bellenger Way, Kidlington, and Jay Johnson, 24, of Bartholomew Road, Oxford, were sentenced at Oxford Crown Court on Monday (April 8) for several counts of conspiring to supply Class A and B drugs between March 1, 2020 and June 13, 2020.

The men, who were aged 20 at the time of the offence, were involved in obtaining and couriering different drugs, including Class A drugs such as crack, crack cocaine, heroin and MDMA, and Class B drugs including ketamine and cannabis, across the county and south of England.

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Sentencing the group, Judge Michael Gledhill said: “The fact of the matter is this was a very large-scale conspiracy... and the amount of drugs involved was enormous. It runs into tonnes rather than kilos.

“None of you were playing a leading role…[but] it was a significant role. You were all recruited because at the time for different reasons and different ways you were vulnerable.

“I accept you were targeted because those who wanted you to take the risk of being caught by being runners knew you were susceptible to being recruited.

“That being said, each of you knew perfectly well what you were getting involved in and joined in with enthusiasm.

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“For reasons personal to yourself, you were quite happy to take the risk and be paid for what you were doing, having little regard to the fact you were being used to protect those far more responsible.

“As time went on, each of you took on a greater role.

"You were all playing some sort of part in the management of the conspiracy, you were involved in working with others, influencing them, not by way of intimidation but you were actively involved in what was going on for significant financial significant gain.”

Sentencing Johnson, Buckland, and Maasz, Judge Gledhill considered the fact they were all only 20 years old at the time and all men of previous good character except Buckland who has a caution from 2019.

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He added that they had lived an ‘honest and industrious life’ and were ‘vulnerable and groomed’.

Johnson was sentenced to seven years, Buckland was sentenced to six years and Maasz was sentenced to seven years.

Whitworth, who had a lesser role, received four years imprisonment.