THE leader of a ‘profitable’ drug gang which flooded Warrington with more than £100,000 of class A drugs has been exposed in a TV probe.
A BBC Panorama investigation has found that breeding dogs has become a popular profit-making scheme for organised crime groups.
The puppies will often have exaggerated features, such as deformed legs and muscular frames, which can lead to severe health problems.
The RSPCA has warned that criminals are breeding and selling these dogs to launder money, with the charity adding that animal welfare is suffering in order to make huge financial profit.
Undercover reporter Sam Poling received a message on her fake Facebook profile from Thomas Rayment’s profile asking if she was interested in buying an American Bulldog.
She was sent photos of two dogs demonstrating ear cropping, where the tops of the dogs’ ears have been cut off, which is illegal in the UK and carries a five-year maximum prison sentence.
The Burtonwood drug ring leader was jailed in February 2021 for supplying heroin and crack cocaine in the town.
According to Panorama following an eight-month investigation, Rayment, of Brookvale Close, claims to own the UK arm of an international franchise called Muscletone Bullys.
Due to Rayment being in prison, his business partner Ryan Howard meets the undercover reporter to discuss potentially ‘co-owning’ a dog, a practice which involves an investor looking after a dog while the breeder puts it out to stud, and the pair split the profits.
However, Howard does confirm that Rayment has been messaging people from jail.
One anonymous animal welfare investigator told Ms Poling about dog breeding: “It is a massively lucrative trade, a multitude of breeders throughout the UK are linked.
“The more extreme dog you produce, the more money you get.
“The big breeders, the majority of them, are criminals – drug dealers, organised crime gangs, who are driving the market. It is exactly the same business model as selling drugs, but it is dogs.”
When sentenced at Liverpool Crown Court in early 2021, Rayment claimed his illegal drug money came from his dog breeding business.
However, detectives revealed that he had been directing the activities of a network of dealers, and the defendant later pleaded guilty to charges of conspiracy to supply cocaine and heroin.
When asked to give a statement to Panorama, Muscletone Bullys said it breeds the ‘highest quality extreme American Bullys’ without ‘compromising on the dog’s health or wellbeing’.
The company also stated: “Thomas Rayment does not communicate with anyone illegally and has others running his socials.”
The BBC Panorama documentary is available to view on BBC iPlayer.
