Key Takeaways
- Lewis Turner, the nephew of Anthony and Leon Cullen, led a drug gang that flooded Warrington with high-purity cocaine and MDMA.
- Turner’s gang was known for its violence and intimidation tactics, with Turner himself often displaying acts of serious violence to maintain his authority.
- The gang was closely linked to the Cullen twins, who ran a huge-scale drug importation and supply scheme that turned over profits of at least £300,000 a month.
- Turner and his partner, Anthony Morgan, were jailed for their roles in the conspiracy, with Turner sentenced to six years and nine months in prison.
- The gang’s operation was eventually dismantled by a police operation that saw several members arrested and jailed.
Introduction to the Cullen Twins and Lewis Turner
The Cullen twins, Anthony and Leon, were notorious for running a huge-scale drug importation and supply scheme in Warrington. The scheme turned over profits of at least £300,000 a month and was known for its violence and intimidation tactics. However, when the twins’ operation was dismantled by a police operation, their nephew, Lewis Turner, stepped up to take over the running of the crime group’s supply of cocaine. Turner, who referred to himself as the "big boss baby," worked with his partner, Anthony Morgan, to flood Warrington with high-purity cocaine and MDMA.
The Turner Gang’s Operations
The Turner gang was extremely close-knit and recruited family members to help with operations. Turner’s girlfriend was in charge of the drugs debt list, calculating and handling the money generated from the criminal enterprise. On at least one occasion, she also supplied drugs to a customer on behalf of her partner. Morgan’s nan, girlfriend, and her older sister were also involved in the conspiracy, with Morgan’s nan preparing, storing, and supplying drugs on behalf of her grandson at her home. The gang supplied mainly cocaine, but also occasionally ecstasy, in various amounts, from multiple ounces all the way through to single wrap street dealing.
Links to the Cullen Twins
The Turner gang was closely linked to the Cullen twins, with several members of the gang having previously worked with the twins. John Large, a member of the Turner gang, had acted as the "operations manager" for Leon Cullen as part of a conspiracy that saw drugs couriered across the north west and as far afield as Derbyshire and Lincolnshire. Another link between the two gangs was the fact that Turner bought his drugs from a gang that had "undoubted" links to the Cullen brothers. These links suggest that the Turner gang was working under the guidance of the Cullen twins, who had sat at the top of Warrington’s criminal underworld for a number of years.
The Police Operation
The police operation that dismantled the Turner gang was part of a larger effort to target organized crime in Warrington. The operation, which lasted roughly a year, saw several members of the gang arrested and jailed. Turner and Morgan were sentenced to six years and nine months and six years and two months in prison, respectively. The gang’s operation was found to have turned over thousands of pounds a week, with Turner and Morgan living a leisurely lifestyle as a result. The police operation also recovered a significant amount of cash and drugs, including £150,000 of cocaine from Morgan’s nan’s house and £7,000 of MDMA from a safehouse.
The Cullen Twins’ Operation
The Cullen twins’ operation was a huge-scale drug importation and supply scheme that turned over profits of at least £300,000 a month. The twins ran their gang like a business, with a monthly wage bill plus bonuses and accommodation incentives for their so-called employees. The gang also held a terrifying arsenal of weapons, the largest cache ever seized by Cheshire Constabulary, which included a pump action shotgun, automatic pistols, and revolvers. These guns were made available to hire by other gangs for thousands of pounds and were linked to shootings across the north west, including at a house in Bootle in 2015.
Conclusion
The story of Lewis Turner and the Turner gang is a testament to the ongoing problem of organized crime in Warrington. The gang’s operation, which was closely linked to the Cullen twins, was known for its violence and intimidation tactics, and its dismantling is a significant victory for the police. However, the fact that the gang was able to operate for so long and turn over such significant profits is a concern, and highlights the need for continued efforts to target organized crime in the area. The Cullen twins’ operation, which was a huge-scale drug importation and supply scheme, was a major player in the organized crime scene in Warrington, and its dismantling is a significant blow to the criminal underworld.