The workers wearing high-visibility jackets and driving branded vans may seem like a common sight while digging up roads and sidewalks.
However, unbeknownst to many, these crews from the professional-looking Elev8 Civils and Utilities were actually part of a secret criminal network that was supporting the illegal drug trade, generating profits in the millions.
Operating under the guise of a legitimate company, these workers would use barriers to section off unauthorized areas, excavate pavements, and tap into cables to supply direct power sources to cannabis farms controlled by Albanian criminal groups.
Their audacious daylight robbery enabled electricity worth millions of pounds to be abstracted into producing at least £21million worth of drugs, investigators said today.
As well as being criminal, their actions – which covered 32 different police force areas across the UK – were also highly dangerous.
On a mobile phone belonging to Elev8 Civils and Utilities director Andrew Roberts, 42, police found a shocking image of him with his face purple and singed, apparently caused by one of the cables they cut into blowing up.
Meanwhile footage seemingly filmed by a concerned householder showed small explosions as the gang dug into electricity lines on a street in Middlesbrough.
As Roberts and his co-conspirators were jailed today, a judge slammed their ‘greed’ – and said they had operated their cynical deception in ‘broad daylight and in plain sight’.
Eight men were today jailed for their roles after an unprecedented police investigation which revealed they had operated in 32 different police force areas across the UK between 2020 and 2024.
Premises turned into illegal drug factories included a former hotel, shops, a nightclub, a pub and an empty department store.
The group was headed by Roberts, from Wigan, Greater Manchester, and fellow company director Ross McGinn, 33 from Huyton, Merseyside.
Both men had LinkedIn profiles in which they posted photos of apparently legitimate work to promote the company.
In 2023 McGinn posted: ‘If we can help you with any civils work from fibre to utilities in the northwest we have lads ready with full digging kits etc all accreditations.’
In another post he wrote that it had ‘been a busy week of call outs for the Elev8 team, digging out and locating faults’.
Today Detective Chief Inspector Zoe Russo, from the North West Regional Organised Crime Unit, said the reality was that the men ran a ‘highly sophisticated but dangerous operation’.
She said: ‘Most people, members of the public, would just think that they ordinary company carrying out the work, but actually they weren’t.
‘They had no permits, they had no licence. They had no legitimate reason to be there, and in fact, they were there to abstract the electricity.’
She said the explosions caused by their illegal actions ‘highlights the real dangers’ they posed both to themselves and to the public.
Police seized cannabis plants with a street value of up to £21million from more than 100 illegal farms.
Most were occupied by Albanian nationals, acting as gardeners, who said they had been trafficked to the UK.
The gang used specialist equipment stolen to order by Colin White, 62, of Liverpool, who was working for Scottish Power at the time.
The group’s activities came to light when police in North Wales found £1.2 million worth of cannabis plants in an abandoned shop on Bangor High Street.
A utility company confirmed the power source in the building, which had extensive modifications to cable and wiring, had been illegally abstracted from the high street.
CCTV footage reviewed as part of their investigation showed five men, who arrived in a van bearing company name Elev8, appearing to carry out utility work.
The investigation found they were involved in incidents across England, Scotland and Wales.
At a search of the company’s base in Wigan, officers found diggers, breakers, generators, vans, motorcycles, and cabling.
Officers believe the gang charged criminals a fixed rate for their services, with McGinn and Roberts – responsible for liaising with crime groups – taking a ‘significant portion’ of that.
Police footage from a search of McGinn’s home showed large amounts of cash being discovered.
The two men pleaded guilty to encouraging and assisting an offence believing it will be committed, conspiracy to abstract electricity, and conspiracy to steal.
Sentencing them today at Liverpool Crown Court, Judge David Potter said all the defendants were ‘driven by greed’.
Their work was ‘pivotal’ in setting up cannabis farms, he said.
He added: ‘They did so often in broad daylight and in plain sight. They used the cover of liveried vehicles, signage, barriers and high visibility clothing to appear as though they were carrying out legitimate street works.’
McGinn, on videolink from prison, wiped away tears as he was jailed for five years and four months.
Roberts was sentenced to six years.
Graham Roberts, 47, of Wigan, who pleaded guilty to encouraging and assisting an offence and conspiracy to abstract electricity, was jailed for five years and three months for his key role as the jointer responsible for splicing and connecting live cables.
Groundworkers Greg Black, 29, of Huyton; Lewin Charles, 22, of Roby, Merseyside, Aiden Doran, 28, of Wigan, and Jack Sherry, 20, of Wigan, all pleaded guilty to encouraging and assisting an offence and conspiracy to abstract electricity.
Black was jailed for three years and nine months, Charles for two years and eight months and Doran was sentenced to three years.
Sherry was given a 22-month sentence, suspended for 18 months, and ordered to carry out 100 hours of unpaid work.
White, who stole the equipment, was jailed for two and a half years after pleading guilty to conspiracy to steal and encouraging or assisting the abstraction of electricity.
