Members of a gang supplying drugs in Peterborough have been jailed for a total of more than 35 years – with two of them locked up for exploiting children to operate the illegal trade.
A number of members of the gang, who ran the lines operating out of the West Midlands were locked up at Birmingham Crown Court.
The court heard how Ringleader Brian Asante, 23, and eight gang members supplied drugs around the UK on the so-called AB Line and Jay Line.
One of the lines supplied drugs into Kettering, Corby and Peterborough while the second concentrated on Burton-upon-Trent.
Asante, of Stafford, ran his drug empire from addresses in the Midlands while his accomplices lived in neighbouring counties.
Phones and SIM cards which were seized when we arrested Asante at his home in Canberra Drive, Stafford, revealed links between all the defendants.
Mobile phone data to further connected the gang members to text messages about drugs being available and locations involved.
It also revealed images, including one of Asante posing on a wall with a bottle of alcohol next to a pile of cash.
Automated Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) data helped trace the movement of vehicles used by the gang as they ferried drugs around the UK.
Phone data showed Asante was directly involved in the exploitation of children to deal drugs.
One SIM card showed Asante had used SnapChat to communicate with one the children used to run drugs.
Asante has been jailed for 13 years and four months and made subject of a slavery and trafficking prevention order for 160 months.
Another gang member, James Carroll, 46, of Northampton, was jailed for two years after he was convicted of recruiting a child. Three female members of the gang were also sentenced at Birmingham Crown Court last Wednesday (29/1).
Emma Gill, 42, of Wolverhampton, was jailed for three years for conspiracy to supply Class A drugs.
Meghan Lawrence, 21, of Birmingham, was given a 19-month term, suspended for two years for the same offence.
Alicia Cox 25, of Bilbrook, South Staffs., received a 20-month suspended prison term for assisting an organised crime group.
Detective Sergeant Gavin McGrath, of West Midlands Police County Lines Taskforce, said:
"This was a well-developed and complex network of dealers who were supplying large quantities of heroin and cocaine to people many miles away.
"Ultimately we were able to dismantle their operation and safeguard two children who were being trafficked as part of the illegal operation.”
The gang were jailed for a combined total of 35 years including six who were convicted of conspiracy to supply Class A drugs.
They included Maurice Reid, 55, of Burton-upon-Trent, and Simon McTaggart, 38, of Wolverhampton, who were both jailed for six years and 11 months.
Dhillon Swarn 20, of Bloxwich, was jailed for three years and nine months and Gulam Izdani, 22, of Swindon, was jailed for five years and three months.

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Some of the gang members who have been jailed Photo: West Midlands Police


