Father and son jailed for running Leighton Buzzard drugs lab

A father and son have been jailed after police found a ketamine laboratory in a container in Leighton Buzzard.

Brian Venner, 59, of Elvington Gardens, Luton, and Jonathan Venner, 28, of Bushfield Court, Bedford were found guilty at Luton Crown Court on Tuesday (7 November).

After receiving a tip-off about the use of the containers at a self-storage facility in Firbank Way, which were hired and signed for by Brian Venner, officers obtained a warrant and conducted a search in August 2015.

They found the container was used as a lab which was set up in three stages; the raw product, mixing stage and a packaging area.

In the container officers found between 7kg of white powder later identified as ketamine and 15kg of white powder late identified as mephedrone, as well as related drug paraphernalia.

During a search of Brian Venner’s home, officers found another bag of bag of mephedrone, and around £4,000 in cash.

Both father and son pleaded not guilty to the offence, but have now been sentenced to eight and seven years in prison respectively following a trial.

DC Jabbar Khan said: “This was a very serious, organised drug dealing business and both men profited considerably from their illegal enterprise.

“We won’t tolerate this kind of behaviour, and I hope the sentences received sends a clear message to others that crime does not pay.

“We remain committed to investigating cases of those who are producing and supplying drugs, finding them and bringing them to justice.”

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