County Lines drugs networks devastate towns and cities all around the country by flooding them with drugs. Gangs exploit vulnerable people, teenagers and even children to transport the drugs from central hubs, such as Birmingham, into other destinations dozens of miles away.
They may even take over someone’s home in the target area – known as cuckooing – to deal and store the illegal substances. And the entire operation can be ran from a single mobile phone ‘line’, from which the term County Lines is derived.
Sadly, it has become an effective and prevalent form of supplying drugs which is easily repeated in different locations – although the personnel may change.
READ MORE: Crimewatch Birmingham – The crooks caught out on CCTV
Below we have rounded up some of the significant County Lines dealers jailed so far in 2023.
Ibrar Hussain
Ibrar Hussain peddled drugs from his home in Birmingham to Stourbridge via the ‘ACE’ line. The 35-year-old sent out bulk messages to more than 90 people advertising cocaine and heroin, encouraging recipients to ‘place an order’.
He ran the operation from his home in Ward End Park, Washwood Heath. Hussain was convicted of being concerned in the supply of cocaine and heroin as well as possession of criminal property. He was sentenced for four years and six months.
Zaine Hussain
Zaine Hussain supplied cocaine and heroin to users in Dudley. Police raided the 22-year-old’s home to find him asleep with the drug phone next to him, as well as cash, and wraps of class A substances.
Further drugs were found in a vehicle in the back garden. Hussain, of Aston Road, admitted being concerned in the supply of crack cocaine and heroin as well as possession of criminal property. He was sentenced to four years, six months.
Jaydeep Neta
Jaydeep Neta ran an operation supplying crack cocaine and heroin from Wolverhampton to Burton-upon-Trent via the so-called ‘J’ line.
He co-ordinated the racket from a phone and used runners to distribute the illegal substances. The 25-year-old was in bed when police arrested him at a property in London.
Neta, formerly of Wolverhampton, was convicted of being concerned in the supply of crack cocaine and heroin. He was sentenced to eight years.
Reshea Bell and Mathias Esheyigba
Reshea Bell and Mathias Esheyigba dealt drugs throughout Birmingham as part of the ‘T’ line. The pair were described as the ‘shopfront’ for the illegal County Lines network.
Police found up to £10,000 worth of cocaine and a Rolex watch when they raided Bell’s home. When they arrested Esheyigba they recovered the same clothes he was wearing at the time CCTV caught him topping up the drugs phone.
Both, aged 26, admitted being concerned in the supply of heroin and crack cocaine while Bell pleaded guilty to a further offence of possession with intent to supply cocaine. Bell, of Hadfield, Croft, Birmingham was sentenced to five years, four months while Esheyigba, of Bacchus Road, Birmingham, received a punishment of four years, one month.
Devonn Weston and Blake Sharpe
Devonn Weston and Blake Sharpe ran six drug lines, including operations referred to as ‘Nunny’ and ‘Alex’. They exploited vulnerable people to run substances in various towns and villages including Tamworth, Nuneaton and Landrindod Wells in Wales.
Both, aged 23, admitted conspiracy to supply class A drugs. Sharpe, from Shrubbery Avenue, Tipton was sentenced to six years. Weston, from Jackson Street, Oldbury, received six years, eight months.
Tomas Araya and Nathaniel Temesgen
Tomas Araya and Nathaniel Temesgen worked two County Lines drug operations out of their bedsit. They peddled cocaine and heroin in Birmingham through the ‘Meeks’ line and into Stratford-upon-Avon via the ‘Pablo’ line.
Araya was said to be ‘higher up the scale’ than Temesgen who was described as a ‘right-hand lieutenant’. Both were said to have been brought to the UK at a young age in difficult circumstances before falling into drug dealing.
Neither of them were thought to have made much money out of their involvement. Araya, aged 23, of Rogers Road, Ward End, was convicted of two counts of being concerned in the supply of class A substances and sentenced to seven years. Temesgen, aged 21, of Baldmoor Lake Road, Erdington, admitted the same offences and received four years.
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