A MAN has been found guilty after being involved in a £12.5million conspiracy to supply heroin into Brighton and Eastbourne.

Lea Elton Smith, 46, of Natal Road, Brighton, was convicted following a seven week retrial at Hove Crown Court.

The court heard how detectives from the Organised Crime InvestigationTeam in Brighton led a series of drugs raids on March 24 last year, leading to 19 arrests and the seizure of £50,000 cash.

Search warrants were carried out at nine addresses in Brighton, one in Eastbourne and one in Liverpool.

This led to six kilos of heroin mixed with cutting agent with an estimated street value of £600,000 being seized.

Three safes were also found during the searches.

Following the raids, 13 people were charged.

During the investigation, the mastermind behind the operation 49-year-old Thomas Wynn from Liverpool, failed to answer police bail and his body was later found in Dubai.

Of the remaining suspects seven previously admitted their guilt. , At the start of this trial Jon Paul Swann, Wynn’s son-in-law, also pleaded guilty to his role within the conspiracy.

Detective Inspector Julie Wakeford said: “This case resulted from a long-term covert investigation into an organised crime network, supplying heroin from Liverpool onto the streets of Brighton, Hove and Eastbourne.

“This investigation is part of our continuing work aimed at disrupting the supply of drugs into Brighton.”

Smith was found guilty of conspiracy to supply heroin.

Ronald Edwards, 50, of Chiddingly Close, Brighton and Sean Davidson, 49, of Downhill View, Brighton, were found not guilty of conspiracy to supply heroin.

The jury was unable to reach a verdict in respect of Louis Makai, 45, of Langridge Drive, Portslade.

Swann, 33, of Colin Drive, Liverpool, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply heroin at the start of the re-trial on January 16.

Ian Gerald Frost, 48, of St Michael’s Place, Brighton, was found not guilty of conspiracy to supply heroin but admitted charges of dangerous driving and possession of cannabis from August 21 2014.

Kingsley Walls, 44, who also had previously pleaded guilty to his role within the organisation, died of natural causes on December 23 last year prior to being sentenced.

Lee Mack, 50, of Sheepcote Valley Caravan Park, Brighton, Andrew Antoniou, 58, of Dorset Mews, Brighton, Neil Ballad, 48, of Hangleton Road, Hove, Paul Shannon, 60, of North Street, Eastbourne and Arthur Jones, 55, Downs Avenue, Eastbourne had all pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply heroin.

Julie Coltherd, 43, of Langley Crescent, Brighton, pleaded guilty to money-laundering. Sentencing will be carried out at a future date.