Three sentenced for drug supply between Liverpool and Cornwall
Members of a County Line drugs group named ‘Scouse Baz’ have been sentenced for their roles in the supply of cocaine.
The three appeared at Exeter Crown Court on Monday 14 October, where they were jailed for a total of nine years and eight months.
Dylan Jode, 20, of Middle Road, Redruth, was sentenced to two years in custody, suspended for two years.
Sasha Ball, 23, of Rosewarne Road, Camborne, was jailed for four years and eight months.
Brandon McAllister, 28, of Highfield South, Rock Ferry, was jailed for five years.
Operation Lekker was an investigation into the conspiracy to supply drugs from Liverpool to Cornwall over a number of months between 2022 and 2023.
On 7 March 2023, officers from Merseyside Police and Devon & Cornwall Police stopped a vehicle linked to the supply of drugs on the M5 near Cullompton. Officers arrested Ball and Jode and seized items from the car including an easter egg box with a bag of cocaine worth £10,000 inside. Four mobile phones including a burner phone were also seized from the car.
A search was also carried out at Ball’s home address where officers found items linked to the supply of drugs including a notebook containing names, weights and values.
Following further investigation, Detectives were able to identify McAllister as the ‘controller’ of the county line and arrested him during a warrant at his address in Merseyside in May.
Analysis of mobile phone telecoms data showed numerous trips between the two counties throughout the conspiracy period and sending messages discussing money and management of the drug supply. Burner phones also showed hundreds of messages sent to local users offering them cocaine.
The three appeared at court on 14 October where they were sentenced.
Detective Chief Inspector Ian Jolliff from Devon & Cornwall Police said: “This operation identified people who held significant roles within a County Line drug network and has disrupted the supply and distribution of cocaine into Cornwall.
“Officers from our Proactive Disruption Team in Cornwall have been working closely with Merseyside Police to fully investigate this case and bring these offenders to justice over many months.
“Drug supply harms the most vulnerable in our communities and cases such as this serve as a reminder that we will continue to detect and investigate, work with other forces and agencies and take action against those who seek to benefit from criminal activity.”
Detective Sergeant Gerard Farley from Merseyside Police said: “We welcome the sentencing of Ball, Jode and McAllister. This investigation involved working closely with the Newquay Proactive Crime Team to combine resources, intelligence and enforcement powers.
“All three nominals had a strong footprint in Cornwall and were involved in the significant supply of drugs from Merseyside to West Cornwall. We are pleased they are now behind bars and unable to cause any more harm in our communities.
“Criminals don’t see borders when it comes to county lines drug supply, and neither do we. Project Medusa is our dedicated response to County Lines, and we are committed to working alongside other forces to close them down and protect vulnerable people. This is one of many joint operations with Devon and Cornwall and shows our determination to target county lines gangs and bring them to justice.
“I would ask anyone who has information about this kind of activity to come forward so action can be taken.”
You can report any concerns to police on 999 if a crime is in progress or for non-emergency matter, you can report via 101.
You can also pass information via Crimestoppers anonymously, on 0800 555 111 or via their online form at: https://crimestoppers-uk.org
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