Corrupt council official who raked in £20,000 as 'inside man' for £21million 'Great Albanian mains robbery' drug gang is jailed for three years

A corrupt council official who raked in more than £20,000 issuing fake permits for Albanian gangsters has been jailed.Alan Hunter, 57, was a trusted street works manager at Liverpool city council where his job involved giving approval for roads and pavements to be dug up by utilities staff.But detectives investigating a multi-million-pound criminal network – later dubbed the Great Albanian mains robbery – discovered he was playing a key role as their inside man.Hunter was sending fake licences – known as Section 50 permits – to a member of the gang via WhatsApp in exchange for payment, helping high-viz-clad workmen operate without arousing suspicion.It meant passers-by were totally unaware that legitimate-looking roadworks were in fact being used to divert electricity from underground cables to nearby cannabis farms.In messages recovered by police, he spoke about buying a new kitchen and booking another holiday on the back of more 'jobs', Liverpool Crown Court heard today.Aware of the risk he was running, Hunter messaged one criminal contact: 'Hopefully I've covered my tracks good enough on that otherwise I'll get sacked.'Instead, in addition to being fired when his 'shameful breach of public trust' was exposed, Hunter is now behind bars. Corrupt council official Alan Hunter, 57, was today jailed for three years for his role in supplying fake licences to enable workmen to dig up pavements and divert electricity to cannabis farms Men in hi-vis jackets posing as road workers were in fact part of a criminal drug gang Crews from professional-looking Elev8 Civils and Utilities vans were part of the criminal networkHe was on Tuesday jailed for three years after pleading guilty for conspiracy to make items used in fraud, misconduct in a public office and use of criminal property.Three other men involved in the plot were also today given sentences totaling almost nine years.It comes after eight men were last year jailed for nearly three decades for their roles in an astonishing operation spanning at least four years, 32 police force areas and 100 cannabis farms.The conspiracy saw crews using professional-looking Elev8 Civils and Utilities vans illegally digging up pavements and splicing into cables to provide direct feeds into cannabis farms run by Albanian gangs.As well as being criminal, their actions – which investigators say helped produce at least £21million worth of drugs – were also highly dangerous.On a mobile phone belonging to Elev8 Civils and Utilities director Andrew Roberts, 42, police found a shocking image of him with his face purple and singed, apparently caused by one of the cables they cut blowing up.Meanwhile, footage seemingly filmed by a concerned homeowner showed small explosions as the gang dug into electricity lines on a street in Middlesbrough. The gang were exposed when police in North Wales found £1.2million-worth of cannabis plants in an abandoned shop on Bangor High Street in January 2023.Luke Whenary, 35 (left), Liam Shelbourne, 46, and William Grant, 59 (right) were today jailed for almost nine years over their roles in the plot One of the vast cannabis farms found by police after the bogus utility gang were exposed A utility company confirmed the power source in the building, which had extensive modifications to cable and wiring, had been illegally abstracted from the high street.CCTV footage reviewed as part of their investigation showed five men, who arrived in a van bearing company name Elev8, appearing to carry out utility work.The investigation by the North West Regional Organised Crime Unit (NWROCU) found they were involved in incidents across England, Scotland and Wales.As part of their investigation, officers established that Luke Whenary, 35, was acting as a 'facilitator' between the drug gangs and the bogus contractors.After searching his home in Stockton on Tees in February 2024, they uncovered messages between him and two other men, cable jointer Liam Shelbourne, 46, and William Grant, 59, who ran a groundwork company.Between July and November 2020, conversations between Whenary and Grant showed them arranging work, discussing payments and planning how to make their work look legitimate, police said today.Grant used his firm to provide a legitimate front for the excavation work required to illegally connect properties to electricity supplies.Shelbourne was initially employed by Grant before later working directly for Whenary to carry out the electrical work. Pictured: Andrew Roberts, one of the company directors, with an injury to his head after one of the spliced wires explodedOn one occasion, Whenary appeared to cancel an electrical job after a neighbour became suspicious, stating that he was 'not risking being arrested'.Grant liaised with Scottish Power employee Colin White, 62 – who was among the men jailed in March last year – to obtain equipment from his workplace in exchange for money.Examination of White's mobile phone uncovered the fake permits sent by Hunter, who was arrested at his home in Haydock, Merseyside, in April 2024.Liverpool City Council confirmed the permits were fraudulent and that Hunter was not authorised to issue them.Examination of his phone and financial records showed that between September 2021 and July 2023 he received more than £20,000 in payments linked to the fraudulent permits, police said.Whenary was today jailed for three years and four months after pleading guilty to conspiracy to abstract electricity and encouraging or assisting the commission of an offence believing it would be committed.Grant, of Norris Green, Liverpool, was jailed for three years and four months after pleading guilty to conspiracy to abstract electricity, encouraging or assisting the commission of an offence believing it would be committed, and conspiracy to steal.Shelbourne, of Anfield, Liverpool, was jailed for two years and three months after pleading guilty to conspiracy to abstract electricity.Detective Chief Inspector Kelly Wild, from NWROCU, said: 'These individuals played a significant role in supporting organised criminality.'Some were directly involved in arranging and carrying out the work, while others used positions of trust or specialist knowledge to assist the organised crime group for financial gain.'Whether you're directing the criminality or enabling it, we will identify you and bring you before the courts.'We would like to thank Liverpool City Council for supporting us specifically with Hunter's result.'Liverpool council's chief executive, Andrew Lewis, said: 'Hunter's criminal activities were a shameful breach of public trust and he will now rightly face the consequences of his actions.'We expect absolute integrity from our staff and have zero tolerance for fraud, corruption or abuse of a public position.'Immediate action was taken when we were made aware of Hunter's involvement in illegal activity.'