Four members of an organised drug supply chain have been jailed after they were arrested as part of the Safer Redhill crime crackdown.
Christopher Brewer, 35, was arrested as he was caught loading a black bin liner filled with five kilograms of cocaine into the back of his Audi in Redhill last May. He had been tracked after officers suspected he was involved in the supply of class As.
Warrants were then carried out at addresses linked to Brewer and his group at addresses in Redhill, Reigate and Crawley. Vehicles linked to the group were also stopped, including a BMW being driven by Maria Rivas Santos, 32.
The BMW, which was forcibly stopped by armed officers as it travelled through London, had a further five kilograms of cocaine in a laundry bag in the boot.
Another stop resulted in the arrest of Michael White, 54, suspected of being a courier for the group. He was found with a carrier bag containing quarter of a kilo of cocaine stuffed in his underwear.
Clockwise from top left, Michael White, Maria Rivas Santos, Craig Brewer and Chris Brewer
Safer Redhill success
Christopher Brewer’s older brother, Craig, 38, was also arrested for conspiracy to supply Class A Drugs. Wraps of cocaine were found on his person, and a further 29 grams of cocaine was found at his home, where attempts had been made to flush some of the drugs down the toilet. Around £10,000 in cash was also found at the address.
Evidence also showed Christopher Brewer had previously purchased an additional 15kg of cocaine from a Liverpool-based crime group.
At the time of the arrests, which were made following an investigation by Surrey Police’s Serious Organised Crime Unit (SOCU), officers and partners including the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner for Surrey, Reigate and Banstead Borough Council and the YMCA had launched the Safer Redhill partnership.
The initiative utilised Safer Streets funding secured by Police and Crime Commissioner Lisa Townsend and her team, as well as an additional grant from the Commissioner’s Community Safety Fund.
Safer Redhill adopts the Clear, Hold, Build framework.
Drug supply chain members jailed
The three-stage approach involves police relentlessly pursuing criminals to ‘clear’ an area, maintaining a hold over the location to prevent further offending, and then working in tandem with partners to build resilience so it is less likely to be targeted in the future.
It has resulted in a significant decrease across many crime types. In the year to April 2025, reports of shoplifting in Redhill have dropped by 16 per cent, while reported sexual assault has decreased by 19 per cent, grievous bodily harm by 43 per cent and robbery by 56 per cent.
Last week, Brewer, Brewer, White and Santos were sentenced at Guildford Crown Court after admitting the charges against them.
- Christopher Brewer, from Reigate, was sentenced to 11 years, six months in prison for conspiracy to supply class A drugs, two years, to be served concurrently, for conspiracy to acquire/use/possess criminal property, and six months, to be served concurrently, for perverting the course of justice.
- Craig Brewer, from Redhill, was sentenced to six years, five months in prison for conspiracy to supply class A drugs and 12 months, to be served concurrently, for conspiracy to acquire/use/possess criminal property.
- Michael White, from Crawley, was sentenced to five years, three months in prison for conspiracy to supply class A drugs, and nine months, to be served concurrently, for conspiracy to acquire/use/possess criminal property.
- Maria Rivas Santos, from Liverpool, was sentenced to four years, eight months in prison for conspiracy to supply class A drugs.
Cocaine seized
Detective Constable Matt Earl, from Surrey Police’s SOCU, said: “Through the hard work and perseverance our SOCU team, supported by colleagues from various teams within Surrey Police as well as the South East Regional Organised Crime Unit, were able to catch them in the act.
“Now, not only are they in jail, but 10kg of cocaine is off our streets and out of our communities hitting organised criminals where it hurts the most – in their pockets.”
Inspector Jon Vale, Borough Commander for Reigate and Banstead, said: “I know the police activity at addresses in Redhill, Reigate and Horley in May last year caused some concern amongst local residents.
“But I hope it also reassures people we are working hard to flush out criminals from our midst and have an on-going commitment to keeping our towns safe places to live and work.
“Drugs destroy communities”
“This is not just about taking drugs off the streets; drugs destroy communities by contributing to rises in other offences like violence and even untimely deaths.
“Tackling those who proliferate their use has a positive impact on the whole area and continues to be a priority for us.”
Home Office officials visited Redhill last month, with Clear, Hold, Build architect Shane Roberts calling the successes achieved “remarkable”.