West Midlands drug dealers jailed for Welsh county lines network
- Published
Devonn Weston and Blake Sharpe exploited young men and took over their homes, West Midlands Police said
Two West Midlands drug dealers have been jailed for supplying heroin and cocaine to a Welsh village.
Devonn Weston and Blake Sharpe ran six county lines routes to Llandrindod Wells as well as areas of Warwickshire and Staffordshire.
The pair, both 23, exploited young men and took over their homes, West Midlands Police said.
Weston was sentenced to six years and eight months and Sharpe six years after admitting conspiracy to supply drugs.
The vulnerable individuals the pair targeted were forced to sit inside their homes "where they would be at their beck and call", the force said.
Text messages sent out from the various lines - two nicknamed the "Nunny" and "Alex" - said "best of both" and "on bangin both" which referred to the sale of crack cocaine and heroin, according to police.
Weston, from Jackson Street, Oldbury, and Sharpe, from Shrubbery Avenue, Tipton, directed those lower down the chain in order to try to distance themselves from the operation and minimise their chance of arrest, detectives said.
But class A drugs, money and weighing scales were found at a property in Tamworth, Staffordshire, which was thought to be where the "Alex" line was operating, after Weston was stopped by police while driving on 14 July last year.
Class A drugs, money and scales were found at a property in Tamworth, thought to be where the "Alex" line was operating
Sharpe handed himself into police two months later.
Examination of messages also showed Sharpe trying to recruit young people to get involved in drug dealing, police said.
Ch Insp Tom Hadley said: "County lines drug dealers ruin lives and our officers from the Regional County Lines Taskforce worked hard to stop Weston and Sharpe and bring them to justice."
Weston pleaded guilty in August and Sharpe admitted his part in November at Birmingham Crown Court where they were both sentenced on Tuesday.
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