A County Lines drug-dealing gang, including two from the West Midlands, has been put behind bars after a British Transport Police investigation
County Lines drug-dealing gang (from left to right) Andrew Wallance, Isaiah Taitt and Dequarme Lennox have all been jailed for a total of more than nine years
A County Lines drug dealing gang have been put behind bars with one attacking a police officer and caught trying to ‘internally secret’ cocaine and heroin on his person.
British Transport Police’s County Lines Taskforce acted on intelligence to raid an address in Northamptonshire being used as a ‘trap house’, where drugs were bought and sold, on Monday, January 20 last year.
After forcing entry, officers found Andrew Wallance, who had internally secreted a package suspected to contain Class A drugs.
Read more: Woman sexually assaulted at city shopping centre – CCTV appeal
He was arrested, and then, while in custody, he became aggressive when officers advised him he would need to go to the hospital, kicking one of them and knocking him off balance.
Wallance was then taken in a police van to hospital, where the package was later recovered and confirmed to be crack cocaine and heroin.
Wallace was bailed while the Taskforce launched an investigation into the operation of the drugs line, which, upon analysis, revealed another two men were involved, Isaiah Taitt and Dequarme Lennox.
Andrew Wallance, aged 22, of Bridget Street, Rugby, admitted attacking a police officer, and being involved in the county lines drug gang supplying cocaine and heroin
Multiple drug trafficking messages were recovered from Wallace’s phone downloads between the three men, proving they were working together to supply Class A drugs.
All three were in for a ‘rude awakening’ when officers from the Taskforce executed warrants at addresses in London, Rugby, and Telford in the early hours of March 12 last year.
Wallace, Taitt and Lennox were arrested, and the drug line phone, a large knife disguised as a bike pump, drugs, and £9k in cash were seized in the raids.
After nearly 24 hours in custody, all three were charged with a total of 10 offences.
Isaiah Taitt of Bridge Close, West London, admitted offering to supply crack cocaine and offering to supply heroin
Wallance, aged 22, of Bridget Street, Rugby, pleaded guilty to assault an emergency worker, offering to supply crack cocaine, offering to supply heroin, possession with intent to supply Class A drugs (crack cocaine) and possession with intent to supply Class A drugs (heroin).
Taitt, aged 24, of Bridge Close, West London, pleaded guilty to offering to supply crack cocaine and offering to supply heroin.
While Lennox, aged 22, of Burford, Telford, pleaded guilty to offering to supply crack cocaine and offering to supply heroin.
Dequarme Lennox of Burford, Telford admitted to offering to supply crack cocaine and offering to supply heroin
Wallance was jailed for three years and five months on Wednesday, January 28 at Warwick Crown Court.
His criminal counterparts Isaiah Taitt and Dequarme Lennox were both jailed on 12 November last year at Warwick Crown Court for their involvement in running the drugs line.
Taitt was jailed for two years and nine months and Lennox was jailed for three years.
Get breaking news on BirminghamLive WhatsApp
BTP Detective Inspector Matt Davies said: “This is a hugely significant result in our crackdown on County Lines.
“Three men who operated a once thriving drugs line are now behind bars and the illegal drugs they peddled have been taken off the streets along with a potentially lethal weapon.
“This could not have been achieved without the efforts of colleagues at the Metropolitan Police as well as Warwickshire, West Mercia and Northamptonshire Police.
“Working together means we combine our individual resources to hunt down those who profit from the sale of drugs and exploit others.
“Make no mistake, if you’re using the network to deal drugs we’ll be catching up with you very soon.”