THREE MEN from Salford who were part of a gang that preyed on other villains have been jailed.

Paul Cox, 30, David Osborne, 31, and Neil Hudson, 39, all from Salford, deliberately targeted fellow criminals because they knew they had cash for the taking - and more importantly they knew their victims would not go to the police.

Manchester’s Minshull Street Crown Court was told that the group used sophisticated techniques to obtain intelligence about what other rogues were up to, including attaching spy-style tracker devices to vehicles used by the criminals.

They used laptop computers or WAP type mobile phones to monitor their movements from signals sent out from the electronic bugs.

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The group also managed to obtain valuable information about the movements of security vehicles, and in one case, was able to get hold of a security firm’s trip sheet, giving specific details of cash drop offs at ‘hole in the wall’ ATM machines.

They did not actually go through with a hi-jacking of a cash in transit van, but the court was told they had made plans that would have enabled them to do so.

The gang did target two people they knew had been involved in criminal activity, one who had been connected with a bank robbery involving around £400,000 in stolen money, and the other a Salford man who was involved as a courier with a drug running ring.

They ambushed a vehicle which they thought was being driven by the man involved in the robbery which took place in Shropshire, but they got the wrong man. It was in fact his brother that was behind the wheel.

The thugs, who were all wearing balaclava helmets to conceal their identities, bundled him into a van and gave him a beating in an attempt to get information about where their real victim was.

The court was told that neither of the two made a complaint to police or co-operated in any way with a subsequent investigation.

Drug dealing victim

Their other victim, who was involved in drug dealing, was ambushed on Lower Broughton Road in Salford - again by the men wearing balaclavas.

They demanded money, but he made no complaint to the police, and was only traced because an eye witness reported the incident.

The victim refused to co-operate with investigating officers, and refused to say how much cash had been taken from him.

Ricky Holland prosecuting, told the court that the gang had been able to monitor the man’s movements by discreetly fixing a tracker device to his vehicle.

Ironically, the gang was unaware that police were already onto the drug dealers’ activities and were themselves keeping a close eye on them.

The gang came unstuck when purely by chance a police officer spotted a stolen Series 5 BMW in the open garage of a property owned by Hudson, on Deepdale Drive in Agecroft, Salford.

Tracking device

Officers armed with a search warrant went in, and recovered items including balaclavas, gloves, and a tracking device with instructions on how to use it.

Cash totalling more than £30,000 was later recovered from Cox’s house, along with a machete and three watches valued at £18,150, and more than £7000 in cash was recovered from Osborne’s home along with a ski mask, a meat cleaver, and watches valued at more than £4000.

Mr Holland said: “This was basically a safe house where the robbery team stored their kit for future use, or where they could lay low if need be.”

All three men pleaded guilty to charges of conspiracy to commit robbery, and Cox and Osborne pleaded guilty to possessing criminal property.

Hudson pleaded guilty to a charge of possession of a class A drug with intent to supply it.

Father of two Cox, of Oaklands Road, Lower Kersal, was sentenced to a total of nine and a half years in prison.

Osborne of Springwell Close, Salford, was sentenced to a total of nine years, and Hudson of Godolphin Close, Salford, was sentenced to ten and a half years.

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