A county line drug boss continued dealing crack cocaine and heroin after a close call with police.
Paul Brown, of Quickthorne Crescent, Stockbridge Village was caught out when he was spotted leaving a flat that was being used as a base to supply crack cocaine and heroin. When police spotted 42-year-old Brown leaving a home on Lilac Drive in Northwich, he was already under investigation after being stopped in a car on Runcorn Road in April 2019.
A search of the car he was a passenger in led officers to find two knives in the boot and £2k worth of drugs. Brown was arrested at the scene, questioned and released under investigation.
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When he was arrested for a second time on June 9, 2022, he was seen leaving a flat which had crack cocaine, heroin, £200 in cash, three mobile phones and drug paraphernalia inside. Brown was arrested on suspicion of possession with intent to supply crack cocaine and heroin and subsequently charged.
He appeared at Liverpool Crown Court on Friday, August 26 and was jailed for 68 months after pleading guilty to the offences. The court heard Brown was the leader of a county lines gang in Northwich.
PC Adam Cupples, of Northwich local policing unit, said: “Brown was running a county lines organised crime group that supplied crack cocaine and heroin to drug users in the Northwich area. Despite having already been arrested and subsequently released under investigation for drug offences he continued to run his OCG profiting from his criminal activities.
"With information coming into police in relation to drug activity in the area we were able to execute a warrant which led to Brown being found leaving the property. He attempted to make his escape but was located and dealt with."
A county line is operated by an OCG who use mobile phones, known as a line or a graft to extend their supply of crack cocaine and heroin to users in various locations across the United Kingdom – usually from a city into rural areas.
If you believe drug activity is taking place in your community and have information please contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or contact Cheshire Constabulary via our website
Information on how to spot county lines criminality can be found here Impact | Cheshire Constabulary
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