Man kept more than £1.4million worth of steroids in storage units

Lee Ablitt, 51, of Hoy Drive, Newton-le-Willows, and Christopher Thompson, 49, of Scot Lane, Wigan, were handed the following sentences at Mold Crown Court today (November 14):

• Lee Ablitt – five years’ imprisonment.
• Christopher Thompson – two years and nine months’ imprisonment.

Christopher Thompson (Image: North Wales Police) Both had previously admitted conspiring to supply a controlled class C drug, and acquiring/using criminal property; Thompson at his plea and trial preparation hearing, and Ablitt on the second day of his trial.

Prosecutor Siôn ap Mihangel said the operation, concerning the supply of steroids across the UK, dated from December 2017 to October 2021 – although Thompson’s involvement only started in January 2021.

The operation involved the supply of a “large number” of the drugs, and generated “vast profits”, with up to £2.1million worth of steroids seized by police as part of this investigation.

Boxes of steroids seized by police. (Image: North Wales Police) Proceeds from the sales of these drugs were deposited into both defendants’ bank accounts - £213,845.97 by Thompson, and £255,854.08 by Ablitt.

Ablitt initially ran the operation, before Thompson “effectively took over the day-to-day running of it”.

On October 7, 2021, Ablitt was stopped by police while driving from North Wales to Merseyside on the M56, which led to a search of his vehicle.

Inside, more than 60,000 individual tablets, and an amount of liquid steroids, were found, with a total of value of up to £59,246.

Ablitt's vehicle is searched. (Image: North Wales Police) After his arrest, police searched two storage units in Rhyl, where Ablitt had been that day.

From these units, 488,078 individual tablets were found, with a total value of up to £1.42million.

A further £434,000 in cash was recovered from a suitcase found in a locker he used in Rhyl.

The suitcase which Ablitt kept £434,000 in. (Image: North Wales Police) Large amounts of class C steroids were also recovered with a storage unit in Sandbach, and a garage in Newton-le-Willows.

Ablitt’s bank accounts were also examined by police, which found notable increase in activity between 2018 and 2021; it then became apparent that he and Thompson had been posting to drugs to each other.

Thompson’s address and vehicle was later searched in December 2021, recovering liquid steroids and 4,971 individual tablets, with a total of value of up to £13,473.

A couple of parcels, prepared to be sent out to customers, were also found.

Parcels found at Thompson's home (Image: North Wales Police) In total, police found 1,326,560 individual tablets during their investigations, as well as roughly 68,000ml of liquid steroids.

Defending Ablitt, who 10 previous convictions for 19 offences, Robert Kearney said he started bodybuilding as a teenager, and had taken steroids himself since the age of 18.

Mr Kearney said Ablitt had developed his own addiction to steroids, and began buying and selling them in bulk.

In what was, Mr Kearney said, a “sad tale”, Ablitt ultimately became addicted to “a drug he thought would be a boon to his health and physique”.

Representing Thompson, who had one previous conviction, Keith Harrison said he “plainly was less involved” than Ablitt in the conspiracy.

Mr Harrison added: “He was not the author, or the financer, of it. He was not party to the genesis of it.”

Thompson was also said to have used performance-enhancing drugs himself, before beginning to supply them to his friends – then, having known Ablitt for some time, became part of his “supply chain”.

He now “bitterly regrets” his involvement, Mr Harrison said, describing his offending as “a complete one-off”.

Sentencing, Judge Rhys Rowlands told Ablitt and Thompson: “The two of you would have known what you were doing was illegal, and of the likely consequences if you were caught by police.

“Nonetheless, it is a risk you both decided to take and, I have no doubt, you both regret now.”

A Proceeds of Crime hearing is due to take place in 2025.

Speaking after sentencing, Detective Chris Wynne, of North Wales Police's Central Priority Crime Team said: "This was a sophisticated operation, which was conducted over a four-year period.

"Evidently, the conspiracy was so financially lucrative that they had more drugs than they could physically sell fast enough.

"This investigation alone involved over 40 different drugs, and more importantly for users of steroids, some samples which were labelled as containing a specific steroid were found to contain different drugs, which highlights the uncertain and dangerous risk of these illicit products."