DRUG dealers who came to Worcester to ply their trade, some armed with weapons, are now behind bars and stripped of their criminal cash.
Worcester detectives have secured prison sentences for County Lines drug dealers as West Mercia Police continues to put the gangs out of business.
The officers from the South Worcestershire Proactive Team have secured sentences for four men wanted for drugs offences, seizing £10,000 in cash and thousands of pounds worth of heroin, crack cocaine and cannabis.
Following their trials, the four men, who were confirmed to be significant individuals from a County Line drug gang operating in Worcester, were sentenced at Worcester Crown Court in February and March this year.
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These are the sentences:
Himesh Suri, 27, of Dyas Avenue in Birmingham was jailed for five years and eight months for possession with intent to supply Class A drugs, and possession of criminal property (Sentenced Thursday, February 9)
• Aaron Brooks, 32, of Bearwood Road, Smethwick: four years five months for possession with intent to supply Class A drugs (Sentenced Friday, March 10)
• Oliver Brighton 22 years old and of no fixed address: five years for possession with intent to supply Class A drugs and possession of Class B drugs (Sentenced Friday, March 3)
• Steven Edwards, 41, of Pear Tree House, Worcester: one year for permitting the use of a premises for Class A drug supply (Sentenced on Friday, March 3)
The investigation into the men began in 2022 when detectives from the County Lines team arrested Brighton for drugs offences and having examined his phone were confident he was part of a much more prolific gang operating what was known as the Jay Line.
The team’s continued investigations, supported by West Midlands Police, local teams and the West Mercia Intelligence Unit led to the further arrests of Suri, Brooks and Edwards, all for drugs and weapons offences. In all, £10k cash along with crack cocaine, heroin and cannabis worth thousands were seized.
Detective Sergeant Luke Papps from the County Lines Team in Worcester said: “While our operation led to the closure of this Line and prison time for those gang members, our work continues.
“Serious and Organised Crime and County Lines drug dealing remains a significant priority for West Mercia Police and we want Worcestershire to be a safe place to live and work for everyone. Therefore, we will carry on making life hard for these gangs, working together with other police forces and regional and national agencies to stop them polluting our communities.
“We will continue to prioritise the pursuit and prosecution of those who bring drugs and violence into our villages, towns and cities and who exploit the vulnerable members of these communities, like children and young people.”
Anyone with suspicions that a property is being used to sell drugs, or that a young and vulnerable individual may be getting involved with county lines drug dealing can report this online under the Tell Us About section of our website www.westmercia.police.uk or information can be given anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.
More information for children and young people about county lines can be found by visiting Fearless www.fearless.org/ Fearless is a site where you can access non-judgemental information and advice about crime and criminality.
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