TWO people have been found guilty of helping to run a multi-million pound drugs conspiracy from a Farnworth industrial unit.

Christian White and Michaela Doyle were convicted by a jury at Bolton Crown Court of conspiracy to supply class B drugs.

Two of their co-accused, Ian Mercer, aged 47, of Birch Road, Walkden, and Aaran White, aged 22, of Croft Street, Salford, were cleared at the end of a three week trial.

A cry of “thank God” could be heard from the public gallery when Mercer was cleared, while Aaran White embraced Michaela Doyle as he left the dock.

The trial concerned the distribution and packaging of “designer” drugs, which were sold online around the world from April 2010 to May 2013.

Prosecutor Francis McEntee told the jury that the operation, which was based at Drake Mill, in Bloomfield Road, Farnworth, was a “sophisticated and highly profitable operation that has taken drug dealing off street corners and put it on the internet.”

The products were marketed on “brash and bright” websites with names such as widemouthfrogs.com, and served customers as far away as Australia.

The jury heard that the products had names such as “heaven” and “jolly blue pearls”, and that they were sold using “disguise and deception” being packaged alongside promotional items, such as T-shirts.

Some of the drugs, which were banned as a result of a change in the law in April 2010, promised to have effects similar to cocaine, ketamine or amphetamine.

The operation was said to be “business-like”, “well organised” and “well equipped”, and the court was told that Christian White was responsible for the packaging and mixing of the drugs.

Judge Peter Davies told Doyle and Christian White: “You have both been convicted of a serious conspiracy, and although I am going to bail you now, you have to understand that all options are open for sentencing.”

Paula White, aged 46, of Stafford Road, Eccles, previously pleaded guilty to conspiring to supply class B drugs.

Rudie Chiu, aged 26, of Hornbeam Way, Manchester; Netta Hymanson, aged 64, of Circular Road, Prestwich; Sheena Jessop, aged 47, of Grants Lane, Ramsbottom, were previously found guilty of conspiring to supply class B drugs.

They will all be sentenced on June 5.

Christian White and Doyle were both given conditional bail.