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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Man jailed for 10 years after raping ‘extremely vulnerable’ woman in Manchester city centre
Emily Sergeant
A man has been jailed after being found guilty of raping an ‘extremely vulnerable’ woman multiple times in Manchester city centre.
Benjamin Wilson, of Norwood Avenue in Chesterfield, was sentenced to over 10 years in prison after being found guilty of offences committed in Manchester city centre back in June 2022, Greater Manchester Police (GMP) has confirmed.
The victim – who was described as being ‘extremely vulnerable and intoxicated’ – plucked up the courage to go on a night out with friends in Manchester, however she became separated from them and was later subjected to a serious sexual assault, which was linked to a suspected drink spiking.
During the evening, the victim – whose identity has been withheld – and her friend believed their drinks had been tampered with, and she later found herself alone, heavily intoxicated, and extremely vulnerable, before she came into contact with Wilson near a takeaway.
Wilson took advantage of the situation, guiding her into a taxi before repeatedly raping her at a flat in Manchester.
The following morning, he dropped her near the hotel where she had been due to stay with her friend, and she proceeded to report the incident to police shortly afterwards.
A man has been jailed for 10 years after raping an ‘extremely vulnerable’ woman in Manchester city centre / Credit: GMP
From the outset, investigators said they faced ‘significant challenges’ – including limited early forensic opportunities and issues securing CCTV footage, all while needing to prioritise the victim’s wellbeing.
Hundreds of hours of work went into analysing witness accounts, financial and phone data, intelligence checks, and overcoming cross-force barriers leading to Wilson’s arrest in Derbyshire.
“The case was ultimately built through meticulous investigation, persistence, and, crucially, the strength and courage of the victim’s testimony,” GMP said.
Speaking following Wilson’s sentencing this week, DC Phillip Sargeant, of GMP’s Longsight CID, commented: “I am awestruck not only by the courage of the victim in coming forward, but also by her patience and resilience in waiting for justice.
“The impact on her, her family and her support network has been profound.
“I hope today’s sentence provides some measure of closure and enables them to move on from this traumatic experience.”
Featured Image – GMP
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Council sets out plans to rework busy Manchester junction after ‘serious safety concerns’
Emily Sergeant
Bold new plans to transform one of Manchester’s busiest junctions following ‘serious’ safety concerns have been unveiled.
All the way back in 2022, Manchester City Council identified the junction of Wilmslow Road with Ladybarn Road and Sherwood Street as an area that would ‘greatly benefit’ from upgraded infrastructure.
As a major route into Manchester, and an important route cutting through the city’s southern neighbourhoods, this junction sees a vast amount of road, cyclist, and foot traffic every day… and because of this, there are also said to be ‘serious concerns’ around safety when it comes to this particular stretch of road.
In a five year period between 2018 and 2023 alone, there were 15 collisions at this junction, the Council explained – with two of these classified as ‘serious’.
Under the plans – which have been announced by the Council this week – the junction is to be partially redesigned, creating several new and safer crossing points for cyclists and pedestrians, a more ‘seamless’ route along the current cycling lanes, and overall, just general improvements to the layout.
🚧 Wilmslow Rd Junction Improvements 🚲 Works start 18 May 2026 at Wilmslow Rd / Ladybarn Rd / Sherwood St to make the junction safer for pedestrians & cyclists. ✅ New cycle lanes ✅ Safer crossings ✅ Better links to the Fallowfield Loop 🔗 https://t.co/Y26mH7cc8Epic.twitter.com/IiOih5ehqp
— Manchester City Council (@ManCityCouncil) May 11, 2026
Some of the safety features set to be included are three dedicated crossing points for pedestrians at the junction, rumble strips for cyclists at pedestrian crossing points, and improved signage and road markings.
Work is due to begin as early as next Monday (18 May), and will run until January 2027.
The work is set to be carried out in four phases, the Council has confirmed – with the first phase of these works comprising of the removal of street furniture, kerbs and tarmac, as well as upgrades to the drainage and road markings.
“This junction in particular sees a high volume of traffic – from cars, cyclists and pedestrians, commented Councillor Tracey Rawlins, who is the Executive Member for Clean Air, Environment and Transport at Manchester City Council.
“So it was clear that improvements were required following our engagement with local residents.
“As has been the case with other schemes like this in Manchester, safety remains our number one priority.
“We have long said that we want Manchester to be a city where people can walk and cycle around in safety, and by upgrading this junction and improving its crossing points, we are taking another step towards that goal.”
Emily Sergeant -
24th January 2024 
