County lines gang jailed for £1m drugs enterprise

Sylvanus Coker and Tobeijah Atkinson were in charge of the gang, police said

Nine members of a criminal gang that ran a county lines drug operation across two regions have been jailed.

The group ran two drugs lines from the Black Country, selling more than 10kg of Class A drugs, including crack cocaine and heroin, with a street value of more than £1m.

The Avon Line supplied drugs to Telford in Shropshire, while the Blacky Line targeted Blackpool in Lancashire, police said.

The drugs lines were operating from the gang’s bases in Tipton and Walsall from 2018 to 2021.

It was led by 44-year-old Sylvanus Coker, from Walsall, and Tipton man Tobeijah Atkinson, 38, who employed members to peddle drugs in Telford and Blackpool.

West Midlands Police discovered the Avon Line when officers stopped a BMW on the M54 in June 2018 and discovered 47 wraps of cocaine and 17 wraps of heroin.

Benjamin Davies and Kahdel Henry were both jailed for their roles in the gang

Later that month, West Mercia Police stopped a passenger in a private hire vehicle travelling into Telford. He was found with 32 wraps of crack cocaine and 12 wraps of heroin.

Officers also found a mobile phone that had incoming messages from the Avon Line advertising drugs for sale.

An investigation was launched by the West Midlands Regional Organised Crime Unit (WMROCU) and, following the seizure of more Class A drugs, the suspects were arrested in February 2021.

The Blacky Line was discovered via evidence from mobile phones used to run the operation.

Ayomide Ogunbodede and Scott Louden were also jailed

Nine members of the gang were given the following sentences at Birmingham Crown Court during hearings held between 4 - 6 March:

• Sylvanus Coker, aged 44, from Walsall – 15 years and six months after being found guilty of conspiracy to supplying heroin and cocaine

• Tobeijah Atkinson, aged 38, from Tipton – nine years after pleading guilty to conspiracy to supplying heroin and cocaine

• Benjamin Davies, aged 32, from Wolverhampton – seven years and eight months after pleading guilty to conspiracy to supplying heroin and cocaine

• Kahdel Henry, aged 30, from Tipton - six years and three months after being found guilty of conspiracy to supplying heroin and cocaine

• Ayomide Ogunbodede, aged 24, from Wolverhampton – five years and one month after pleading guilty to supplying heroin and cocaine

• Scott Louden, aged 45, from Wolverhampton – five years after pleading guilty to conspiracy to supplying heroin and cocaine

• Joshua Reynolds, aged 23, from West Bromwich – three years and six months after being found guilty of conspiracy to supplying heroin and cocaine

• Stephen Wright, aged 38, from Tipton – two years and six months after pleading guilty to conspiracy to supplying heroin and cocaine

• Dean Groom, aged 30, from Dudley – two years three months after pleading guilty to conspiracy to supplying heroin and cocaine

Det Con Christopher Bradley from WMROCU said: “Led by Coker and Atkinson, the gang peddled heroin and crack cocaine worth £1m into communities in Telford and Blackpool.

“There they targeted the most vulnerable, ruining lives and blighting communities. We are pleased this gang has been taken off our streets and are now spending time behind bars."