Man jailed for 10 years after officers discovered drugs, guns, ammunition and exotic birds on land in Rochdale

Zak Dearden, 36, from Rochdale has been sentenced today (11 October) at Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court to 10 years in prison after pleading guilty to 13 counts including possession of guns, ammunition, possession of drugs, being concerned in drug supply and drug manufacture.

On Thursday 27 July 2023 police attended Dearden’s home address; The Pen, Dyehouse Lane, Rochdale. The location of the family home is a large plot of land with several containers, buildings and outbuildings.

The search took a month with over 50 officers used to successfully complete the search of the land and all buildings.

Dearden was originally arrested, charged and remanded for a drugs offence but officers received intelligence that he had guns at his home address.

Following his arrest, a search of Dearden’s home began and over the next four weeks, the search of the buildings resulted in drugs, firearms and chemicals believed to be used in the manufacture and production of drugs being seized. 

 

 

A total of five firearms with ammunition and drugs including 10kg of amphetamines with a street value of £100,000, 99g of cannabis oil with a street value of £12,884, £57,000 worth of cannabis and £4,685 worth of cocaine were recovered from the property site.

Dearden also ran a pet shop with his father selling exotic birds. During the search period of The Pen, officers found several hundred different animals including dogs, peacocks, parrots, mink, ferrets, ducks, Koi Carp and a bull.

At one count there were over 800 parrots in separate outbuildings. During each search where there were parrots in the aviary they had to be removed by an expert. They were left in the care of Dearden's father after the search.

Dearden pleaded to 13 charges including being concerned in the production of amphetamines, possession with intent to supply amphetamines, the production of cannabis oil, possession of cocaine with intent to supply, possession of cannabis with intent to supply, possession of a prohibited smooth-bore gun, converting an imitation firearm into a firearm, three counts of possessing firearm when prohibited and three counts of possessing ammunition when prohibited.

 

 

Detective Sergeant Steven Gilliland, of the Rochdale district, said: “This was a very challenging search and case. It took a month to fully search the site - it was the biggest search I have ever been involved in.

“I would like to thank our officers and partners who helped assist with this investigation – the hazardous chemicals that Dearden was using to produce the drugs had to be disposed of by chemical disposal experts.

“Words do not do justice to the scale of the land as well as the amount of buildings and state of the buildings which impacted on the search.

“Our investigation managed to uncover vast amounts of dangerous, drugs, weapons and various animals living in terrible conditions.

“For example, we found 10 dogs living in what can only be described as their own filth. Concerns were raised and the RSPCA attended. 

"All the dogs were removed from the kennels and found alternative accommodation. I must thank the Dogs Trust at Denton for taking in two of the dogs and Leigh Dogs and Cats Home for taking in three.  

“This operation has resulted in us removing threatening materials from getting onto the streets of Greater Manchester and today’s sentence puts a dangerous offender behind bars.”