Drug dealer jailed after 20 people overdosed

Leon Brown's county lines operations may have led to 20 overdoses in Worcestershire, Shropshire and Herefordshire

Heroin containing a synthetic opioid that was supplied by a drug dealer may have led to 20 overdoses, police believe.

Leon Brown, who has been jailed for more than seven years, used county lines operations in Herefordshire, Shropshire and Worcestershire.

Brown had earlier pleaded guilty to four charges after forensic analysis revealed the heroin had been laced with the nitazene opioid.

The 36-year-old, of Baker Street, West Bromwich, saw his jail term increased by a judge at Worcester Crown Court after breaching a previous suspended sentence order.

At a previous hearing at the court on 19 October, Brown admitted two counts of possession with intent to supply Class A drugs, possession of cannabis and possession of criminal property.

His operations in Evesham had prompted police in September to issue warnings in South Worcestershire after noticing more drug users who overdosed had taken nitazene.

Officers said anecdotal evidence had suggested the opioid was responsible for as many as 20 overdoses in the West Mercia force area.

'Serious offender off streets'

Synthetic opioids mimic the effects of natural opioids, and are often sold as heroin or mixed in with it, but often found to be significantly stronger.

Det Sgt Luke Papps said the fact Brown's drugs had been mixed with nitazene was a serious aggravating factor.

He said: "Bringing Brown to justice is a great result in our ongoing efforts to tackle county lines drug dealing, taking a serious offender off the streets of Evesham following some good investigative work by our officers."

Det Sgt Papps added synthetic opioids were dangerous as there was an increased risk to those who used them.

“We will not cease in our mission to get dealers like Brown off the streets of South Worcestershire and urge anyone with information about such criminal activity to report it to us so we can investigate," he added.