Drug dealer in organised crime group admits firearm and drug offences in court

A drug dealer in an organised crime group that had a handgun and was selling crack cocaine, heroin and cocaine in Stoke-on-Trent has pleaded guilty in court following a proactive investigation.

A 17-year-old boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, of Meir, Stoke-on-Trent, was spotted by officers going into a house on St John Street, Hanley, in June.

When we searched the house, we found cocaine and crack cocaine, burner phones that were being used to advertise the drugs locally, SIM cards and £1,260 in cash.

Officers then searched an alleyway next to the house. We found a black handgun that had been converted from a blank-firing weapon, along with heroin, crack cocaine and a contactless card payment machine.

Once the forensic analysis had been finished, we found traces of the boy’s DNA on the firearm.

On 14 November, proactive officers searched the boy’s home address in Meir as part of the investigation. They found £405 in cash, two phones, cannabis and digital scales.

We found more than 180 ‘flare’ messages that had been sent by the boy on a phone linked to a drugs line. It is a method used to send messages in a bulk to customers buying illegal drugs.

The total value of the crack cocaine, heroin and cocaine seized throughout this investigation was estimated to be around £3,500.

After being charged with the offences, the 17-year-old boy pleaded guilty at Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court on Friday (13 December) to possession of a firearm, being concerned in the supply of cocaine, heroin and possession with intent to supply cocaine, crack cocaine and heroin.

He will be sentenced at a date and time to be fixed.

Sergeant Marc Proctor said: “We’re working hard every day across Staffordshire to take down the gangs responsible for high-harm offences on our streets.

“I’m really pleased that our proactive efforts to investigate this drug line led to a substantial weapon being taken off our streets before it was used to commit violence and harm.

“Substantial enforcement to bring down organised criminal networks is happening proactively across the county under our Operation Target commitment, but we need your help.

“Without reports from members of the public, we wouldn’t have been able to arrest more than 1,000 people suspected of drug and firearm offences since launching our crackdown in May last year.

“If you’re worried about crime in your area, please speak to us. You can do it without giving your name or address by calling Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111, or by ringing us on 101 or using Live Chat on our website.”