Two dealers jailed as drug lines shut down

Two dealers have been jailed and three drug lines shut down following work by officers to disrupt organised gangs fuelling the supply of drugs in Staffordshire.

It comes after we forced entry and searched 10 separate addresses in simultaneous raids in Burton-on-Trent in April this year. We found £20,000-worth of heroin and crack cocaine and mobile phones linked to dealing.

The raids came in the wake of months of proactive work by officers, including from the Regional Organised Crime Unit (ROCU), to investigate men and women linked to several county lines operating in Staffordshire.

These were the Bruno Line, the AJ Line, and the Frank Line.

This led us to several people, including 23-year-olds Joseph During and Christopher Zama.

Both men were sentenced at Stafford Crown Court on Thursday (31 October).

Zama, of Gravelly Hill, Birmingham, was jailed for seven years after being found guilty of being concerned in the supply of crack cocaine and heroin and possession with intent to supply crack cocaine and heroin.

During, of no fixed address, was locked up for six years after admitting the same offences. He also received a three-month prison term, to run consecutively, after pleading guilty to possession of a knife or blade in a public place.

(Joseph During)

(Christopher Zama)

Six other defendants are due to be sentenced at a later date.

Detective Superintendent Nicki Addison, said: “We are delighted that due to the persistence and hard work of our proactive teams we have been able to shut down three county lines and work towards making our communities safer by undertaking this relentless activity”

County lines is the name given to drug dealing where organised criminal groups (OCGs) use phone lines to move and supply drugs.

We continue to work proactively to target those involved across Staffordshire as part of our Operation Target commitment to tackle serious and organised crime.

Nikita Lismanovics, 19, from Stapenhill, and Ethan Wilson, 18, and Troy Francis, 22, from Burton-on-Trent, have admitted conspiring to supply heroin and crack cocaine, while Julie Stringer, 30, from Burton-on-Trent, has admitted conspiring to supply crack cocaine.

Anthony Mills, 40, from Stapenhill, and David Tonks, 44, from Streethay in Lichfield, have admitted being concerned in the supply of heroin and crack cocaine.