Eighteen people have been charged after an investigation into the supply of Class A drugs on Sheppey.

Officers from Kent Police’s Operation Jupiter team have been looking into the suspected large scale distribution of heroin and cocaine for over a year.

The investigation, which has connections to organised crime groups and gangs in Liverpool, has resulted in the following charges:

Wesley Brown, 32 and of no fixed address - conspiracy to supply Class A drugs between July 23, 2015 and July 28, 2015.

Kane Trayling, 25 and of no fixed addressRicky Wigglesworth, 26 and of no fixed address Khyle Harding, 23 and of no fixed address - conspiracy to supply crack cocaine and heroin between November 3, 2014 and June 21, 2016 and possession of a firearm and section one prohibited ammunition.

- conspiracy to supply crack cocaine and heroin between November 3, 2014 and June 21, 2016; conspiracy to produce crack cocaine between July 23, 2015 and July 28, 2015; conspiracy to supply Class B drugs, amphetamine sulphate, between January 9, 2016 and January 21, 2016 and a charge of conspiring to fraudulently evade a prohibition on the importation of a Class B drug, between January 9, 2016 and January 21, 2016.

- conspiracy to produce crack cocaine between July 23, 2015 and July 28, 2015 and possessing criminal property - namely £11,300 in cash - on July 27, 2015.

Luke Mitchell, 32, of Queensway, SheernessDavid O’Neil, 37, of New Street, Sheerness Shane Kent, 29 and of no fixed addressKerry Little, 43, of Marian Avenue, MinsterGeorge Wright, 28, of Davie Close, Sheerness Charlotte Levesconte, 26, of Davie Close, Sheerness - conspiracy to supply Class B drugs, amphetamine sulphate, between January 9, 2016 and January 21, 2016. She is also charged with conspiring to fraudulently evade a prohibition on the importation of a class B drug.

- conspiracy to supply heroin and crack cocaine between November 3, 2014 and June 21, 2016.

- conspiracy to supply crack cocaine and heroin between November 3, 2014 and June 21, 2016.

- conspiracy to supply crack cocaine and heroin between November 3, 2014 and June 21, 2016.

– possessing cocaine on July 31, 2015 and possessing criminal property, namely £600, on July 31, 2015.

- conspiracy to supply Class B drugs, amphetamine sulphate, between January 9, 2016 and January 21, 2016. He is also charged with conspiring to fraudulently evade a prohibition on the importation of a Class B drug.

Joanna Gibbs, 32, of Botany Close, SheernessAli Omar, 21, of Beach Street, Sheerness - charged with participating in the criminal activities of an organised crime group on August 12, 2015.

- two offences of permitting the use of a premises, for supplying heroin and cocaine, between April 1, 2015 and August 4, 2015.

Georgie Kelly, 21, of Meads Avenue, Quinton - charged with participating in the criminal activities of an organised crime group between July 23, 2015 and August 31, 2015.

Stuart Hopkins, 53, of Wickham Close, Newington - conspiracy to supply Class B drugs, amphetamine sulphate, between January 9, 2016 and January 21, 2016. He is also charged with conspiring to fraudulently evade a prohibition on the importation of a Class B drug.

The other four charged with related offences are Amanda Maw, 34, from Liverpool; Lee Magee, also 34, from Basildon; Jordan Dennis, 25, from Chatham and 22-year-old Tallanius Bridgeland from Deal.

Preliminary court hearings are scheduled to take place at Chatham Magistrates’ Court on February 28.

The Operation Jupiter initiative sees officers use certain strategies to tackle organised crime and criminal gangs travelling in to the county, particularly in Swale, Medway, Gravesham and Dartford.