Robbery investigation 'was complex'

Surveillance pictures of Huckerby and Power were taken

Operation Volga was one of the biggest and most complex inquiries ever handled by officers at Greater Manchester Police.

The massive inquiry took detectives to Poland, Spain, Russia and Israel and an undercover policeman spent 10 months posing as a security van driver to infiltrate the robbery gang.

On Tuesday, former-policeman Graham Huckerby, 42, from Prestwich and James Power, 60, from Bury, were each given sentences of 14 years for conspiracy to rob after a retrial at Minshull Street Crown Court.

One senior police officer said he was "elated" at the convictions.

Graham Huckerby: 'Inside man'

Detective Sergeant Allan Donoghue said: "The case had more twists and turns than the Volga river."

Securicor driver Huckerby had been at the wheel of the van carrying the weekend takings from shops all over Manchester on the morning of 3 July, 1995.

Within minutes of arriving at the Midland Bank clearing centre in Ordsall, the van was attacked by three masked men and one armed with a pistol climbed in.

Huckerby was later discovered by workmen, handcuffed to a fence and gagged with tape.

Mr Donoghue told BBC News Online that suspicions about Huckerby's involvement were raised on the day of the crime.

He had failed to carry out simple procedures to alert the emergency services and instead drove off to a cul-de-sac followed by the gang's van.

"Our suspicions started with the robbery itself. We wern't happy with what he didn't do, which was alert the data track," said Mr Donoghue.

"It just stunk from day one."

After the raid, Huckerby - who had financial difficulties - paid off debts and took expensive holidays.

James Power was sentenced to 14 years in prison

He also paid off maintenance arrears to his ex-wife Gillian and made a series of £500 deposits to his bank account.

Investigations revealed Huckerby had accepted a £1,000 bribe from a man dubbed "Irish Jim" to be in on the July 1995 raid. His cut was thought to be about £660,000.

Mr Donoghue said further investigations into Huckerby's telephone records pointed to an address in Manchester which was known to have links with a convicted armed robber.

The court heard how police then sent an undercover policeman - known only as Barry - to pubs and bookmakers in the area where Huckerby lived.

The undercover operation was designed to see if one of Huckerby's friends would plan a similar robbery with a Securicor driver as an ''inside man'' and James Power, was said to have taken the "bait" in secretly taped conversations.

Power was recorded saying he had contacts with a London criminal gang and that the robbery would take three months to set up and Barry would receive a percentage of the proceeds.

Speaking after the verdicts were announced, Mr Donoghue said he was "elated" at the convictions.