A man who manufactured more than 38,000 ecstacy pills in a “makeshift lab” in Manchester has been handed jail time.
Jian Huang has been sentenced to nine years behind bars.
The 44-year-old appeared Manchester Minshull Street Court yesterday (Monday 23 January), and was sentenced after pleading guilty at an earlier hearing to possession with intent to supply class A drugs.
It comes after approximately 38,500 ecstasy tablets were seized by Greater Manchester Police (GMP) in April of last year, after officers attended an anonymous call for a concern for welfare at an address on Arran Street in Moston following reports that an argument could be heard coming from inside the house, and a women and children could be heard shouting.
Police attended the scene on 19 April 2023, and, despite such little information available to them, then conducted several house-to-house enquiries.
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GMP said Huang was acting “extremely evasive” to questions he was asked relating to his female partner and children, which therefore “raised concerns”.
This was all before officers went on to discover the property was being used as a “makeshift lab”.
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#JAILED | Jian Huang was sentenced to 9 years at Manchester Crown Court yesterday (Monday 23) for drug offences.
Approximately 38,500 ecstasy tablets were seized by officers.
Upstairs bedrooms inside the address were found padlocked, but when Huang said he had no keys to these rooms, forced entry was used, and an extremely-large amount of class A drugs, a tablet production machine, and loads of associated manufacturing equipment was found.
The drug was discovered in various stages of preparation – some were suspended in liquid, and some were drying, as well as more than 38,000 tablets.
GMP say they believe the pills were being “prepped for sale”, and were likely bound for Parklife festival due to time time when they were recovered.
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Man jailed after manufacturing 38,000 ecstacy pills in a ‘makeshift lab’ in Manchester / Credit: GMP
Detective Constable Heather Gore, who is from GMP’s North’s Challenger organised crime team, said response officers did an “outstanding” job in “bringing Huang to justice”.
DC Gore continued: “It looked like Huang was preparing to sell these drugs which would have likely ended up at festivals such as Parklife,
“So seizing such a huge quantity was a significant result.
“The address appeared to be a laboratory for converting ecstasy from its liquid form, to a pressed tablet. There was approximately 38,500 ecstasy tablets, 7kgs of unpressed ecstasy, and 10 litres containing methylamphetamine.
“The tablets alone have a street value of approximately £385,000.”
Featured Image – GMP
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Subjects for first vocational equivalent to A-Levels revealed ahead of introduction next year
Emily Sergeant
The subjects for the first vocational equivalent to A-Levels have been revealed ahead of their introduction into the curriculum next year.
Claiming that too many have been ‘held back’ by a system that didn’t ‘value every route to success’, the Government has now announced that young people will be able to take the very first V-Levels in subjects like education, finance, and digital in 2027, as part of landmark reforms to close the skills gap and help them secure well-paid jobs.
V-Levels are described as being ‘transformational’ new qualifications where learning is designed around real jobs and the skills that employers actually need.
They combine study and real‑world work experience to achieve the final outcome.
As mentioned, the new qualifications will be introduced next year for 16‑year‑olds, providing a year of study before progressing to V-Levels, T-Levels or A-Levels – with the initial subjects being Education and Early Years, and Digital.
The first subjects for the vocational equivalent to A-Levels have been revealed / Credit: EasyPeasyAI | JESHOOTS (via Unsplash)
A separate two‑year, employment‑focused route will also be available for those aiming to move straight into work or an apprenticeship after education.
Students who want to specialise in technical, sector-focused studies will also have more options, as T-Levels will soon be expanded to include subjects such as Sports, Fitness and Exercise Science, and Care Services.
These further changes to T-Levels will refine content and assessment, and allow providers more scope to tailor industry placements, to ensure that more young people can access them.
“Our bold reforms will end the snobbery in post-16 education, supporting young people with real choice and real opportunity to build secure, future‑proof careers,” commented Education Secretary, Bridget Phillipson, as the V-Level subjects were announced.
“Not only that, but it will give parents much-needed confidence in a system that values every route to success, as we continuing driving forward our mission to ensure two‑thirds of young people are in education, training, or apprenticeships by 25.”
Bill Watkin, Chief Executive of the Sixth Form Colleges Association, added: “We are pleased that a third qualification pathway will sit alongside A levels and T levels in the future.
“The changes announced to T levels today are also very welcome and should make it easier for more young people to study a T level and for schools and colleges to offer them.”
Featured Image – The Labour Party (via Flickr)
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Salford man jailed after pointing loaded gun at police and members of public while on the run
Emily Sergeant
A man from Salford has been jailed for more than a decade after he pointed a loaded gun at police officers and members of the public while he was on the run.
Jay Conway, of Leicester Walk in Salford, appeared at Manchester Crown Court last week (6 March 2026) where he pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm, possession of a firearm without a licence, possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life, and assault of an emergency worker, as well as also pleading guilty to possession with intent to supply class A and class B drugs.
His sentencing comes after officers from Greater Manchester Police‘s (GMP) Salford Challenger team were patrolling Albert Park in plain clothes on Tuesday 20 May 2025.
They spotted a man riding an e-bike and wearing a balaclava, and attempted to detain him there and then, but despite their best efforts, he fled the area, brandishing what officers believed to be a pistol in the process.
The suspect – which was later identified as Conway – stole a bike and cycled on to Great Clowes Street, where a neighbourhood officer heading towards the incident attempted to detain him but he resisted. The officer deployed his Taser but he drew the pistol for a second time, pointing it at police and also at a member of the public.
Conway then dropped the firearm – which police later confirmed as a viable, loaded pistol – and a mobile phone, and fled for a second time.
Thanks to a ‘fast-paced and thorough’ investigation by specialist GMP teams, involving forensic analysis of the phone and CCTV which identified Conway as the suspect, he was arrested by armed officers the following day in Whalley Range.
“Nobody – a police officer or a member of the public – should be confronted by a gun,” said Detective Superintendent Simon Moyles, following Conway’s sentencing.
“These were frightening incidents and Conway is clearly a dangerous individual who is rightly serving a prison sentence. We need to commend and recognise our officers who showed immense bravery in trying to stop Conway.
“Guns have no place on our streets and the work we are doing in Salford, and across Greater Manchester, in relation to firearms incidents continues.
“If you know anyone who is using, or possesses, an illegal firearm, we urge you to get in touch with us as, for each firearm we recover, that’s potentially a life saved.”
Emily Sergeant -
24th January 2024 
