Three drug dealers from the “Barry” county line team were busted after police found a glove full of phones “ringing continuously” plus drugs.
Officers were at the home of Stuart Manson, 41, on Constables Close in Castlefields, Runcorn, on Wednesday, June 1, to make arrests for something else. Cheshire Police said that while there they found a glove containing white powder and several mobile phones that were “ringing continuously”.
Barry Kenny, 46, of Hedge Hey, Castlefields, Runcorn, was already at the property, and William Ryan, 41 of no fixed abode, arrived while officers were making enquiries. Ryan was found to have six wraps of heroin, a mobile phone and cash.
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All three were arrested on suspicion of being concerned in the supply of Class A drugs.
While the suspects were in custody, a search at Kenny’s home discovered heroin, scales, and weapons including a machete.
Manson and Kenny were charged on Friday, June 3, with conspiracy to supply Class A drugs heroin and crack cocaine and Ryan was released under investigation.
Further evidence identified that Ryan was involved in supplying drugs, so officers raided a property on Oak Drive off Thorn Road in Runcorn on Wednesday, June 29.
Ryan was present when officers seized heroin and crack cocaine at the property.
He was later charged with two counts of being concerned in the supply of Class A drugs and two counts of conspiring to supply Class A drugs crack cocaine and heroin.
At Chester Crown Court on Monday Ryan was sentenced to three years and nine months in prison, Manson to three years and seven months, and Kenny to three years, totalling more than 10 years between them.
The case was part of Operation Toxic, a collaboration between Cheshire and Merseyside police forces aimed at tackling “county line” drug supply, meaning involving a “graft” phone to run drug supplies from bigger urban areas to smaller towns and villages and often using “flare” messages to advertise illicit substances for sale.
A Cheshire Police spokeswoman said the investigation found the “Barry” team gang was using around four graft phones to send out hundreds of messages to users every day.
Police Constable Dawn Taylor, of Runcorn Local Policing Unit, said: “We were able to provide a catalogue of evidence against Ryan, Kenny and Manson in order to put them before the courts which led them to plead guilty to the offences put to them.
“Despite being released under investigation for offences initially, Ryan continued to supply drugs right up to the point of being arrested once again at the end of July.
“These men thought that they could get away with bringing crack cocaine and heroin into Runcorn but they were wrong.
“Drugs have no place on our streets and by bringing these criminals to justice and seizing large quantities of illegal substances, we have been able to intervene and stop these drugs from finding the way into the hands of vulnerable users.
“I welcome the sentences handed to Ryan, Kenny and Manson and I hope this sends a clear message that county lines activity has no place in the town.
“I want to take this opportunity to encourage the local community to keep reporting drug activity to police so that we can continue to put organised crime gangs in prison.”
Anyone with information regarding drug supply in their area is urged to report it via www.cheshire.police.uk or anonymously by calling Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
A fourth man, Christopher Lambert, 51, of Oak Drive, is due to be sentenced next month for possession with intent to supply and conspiracy to supply Class A drugs heroin and crack cocaine in December as part of the same case.
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