Three men who were involved in the supply of cocaine in the Ipswich area made a profit of more than £250,000, a court has heard.

Shaun McGovern, Luke Norris and Ross Lane and a fourth man were given jail terms totalling nearly 28 years in March last year after they admitted being involved in a conspiracy to supply cocaine between September 2018 and January 2019.

Sentencing the men Judge Rupert Overbury said: "Each of you was involved at different levels in this conspiracy which involved the organised supply of bulk amounts of high purity cocaine."

Ipswich Star: Four drug dealers jailed. From left to right: Luke Norris, Paul Adams, Ross Lane, Shaun McGovern.Four drug dealers jailed. From left to right: Luke Norris, Paul Adams, Ross Lane, Shaun McGovern. (Image: Suffolk Constabulary)

McGovern, 34, of no fixed address, was jailed for nine years and five months, Norris, 38, of Admiral Road, Pinewood, Ipswich, was jailed for five years and six months and Ross Lane , 31, of Mill Lane Cotton was jailed for eight years and four months.

A fourth defendant, Paul Adams, 37, of Turret Lane, Ipswich, was jailed for four years and eight months.

On Tuesday (May 18) a Proceeds of Crime Hearing at Ipswich Crown Court heard that McGovern’s alleged benefit from his offending was £128,605, Lane’s was £81,840 and Norris’s was £63,075.

Victoria Lovett, prosecuting, said that while Norris’s benefit figure was accepted, McGovern and Lane’s weren’t accepted.

After hearing that Norris had no available assets, Judge David Pugh made a nominal £1 confiscation order in his case.

He adjourned McGovern’s and Lane’s contested confiscation hearing until August 27.

A confiscation hearing wasn’t required by the prosecution for Adams.

Sentencing the men last year Judge Overbury said Lane had organised the purchase of cocaine and arranged for the onward supply to dealers around the Ipswich area.

'You had the expectation of substantial financial gain,' he said.

He said McGovern had played a leading role in the conspiracy but for a shorter period than Lane.

Judge Overbury said Norris had acted under Lane's instruction and had collected and delivered two kilograms of cocaine during the conspiracy.

He said Adams had been recruited by McGovern and had been involved in the conspiracy on January 11 last year after checking into the Belstead Brook Hotel with McGovern.