Jailed: Major drugs gang ran two County Lines including one from Black Country to Telford
A major drugs gang that ran two Class A County Lines – including one from the Black Country to Shropshire – have been jailed for more than 40 years.
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The Walsall and Tipton-based 'Avon Line' supplied crack cocaine to Telford in Shropshire, while the 'Blacky Line' supplied to the popular coastal resort of Blackpool in Lancashire.
The drugs line, operating from Tipton, Walsall and Birmingham, was run over a three-year period between 2018 and 2021. It has been determined that the gang sold over 10kg of Class A drugs, including heroin and cocaine, with a street value of over £1million.
The ten-strong county lines were led by Sylvanus Coker and Tobeijah Atkinson. They directed, organised and controlled the lines, and employed members of their gang to peddle drugs to the communities of Telford and Blackpool.
The gang was sentenced for their roles in the drug enterprise at Birmingham Crown Court last week. Coker was jailed for 15-years and six months and Atkinson was given nine years.
The 'Avon Line' was discovered when police stopped a BMW on the M54 on June 14, 2018. Inside, the officer found 47 wraps of cocaine and 17 wraps of heroin, along with two mobile phones linked to the line.
A week late, West Mercia Police stopped and searched a man who was a passenger in a private hire vehicle travelling into Telford. He was found with 32 wraps of crack cocaine and 12 wraps of heroin.
Officers also seized a Nokia mobile phone which contained incoming messages from the 'Avon Line' advertising drugs for sale.
Detectives from the West Midlands Regional Organised Crime Unit seized significant amounts of Class A drugs as part of the investigation, and the suspects were arrested in February 2021.
Phone evidence including the recovery of devices and SIM cards for both of the drug lines were crucial in proving the guilt of the gang members.
The 'Blacky Line' was predominantly run from the Walsall area with mobile phone evidence showing links between Coker and some of his accomplices
DC Christopher Bradley, from WMROCU, said: "Led by Coker and Atkinson, the gang peddled heroin and crack cocaine worth £1 million into communities in Telford and Blackpool.
"There they targeted the most vulnerable, ruining lives and blighting communities. We are pleased this gang has been taken off our streets and are now spending time behind bars."
The list of charges is as follows:
Sylvanus Coker, aged 44, from Walsall – 15 years and six months after being found guilty of conspiracy to supplying heroin and cocaine.
Tobeijah Atkinson, aged 38, from Tipton – nine years after pleading guilty to conspiracy to supplying heroin and cocaine
Dean Groom, aged 30, from Dudley – two years three months after pleading guilty to conspiracy to supplying heroin and cocaine
Benjamin Davies, aged 32, from Wolverhampton – seven years and eight months after pleading guilty to conspiracy to supplying heroin and cocaine
Joshua Reynolds, aged 23, from West Bromwich – three years and six months after being found guilty of conspiracy to supplying heroin and cocaine
Kahdel Henry, aged 30, from Tipton - six years and three months after being found guilty of conspiracy to supplying heroin and cocaine
Scott Louden, aged 45, from Wolverhampton – five years after pleading guilty to conspiracy to supplying heroin and cocaine
Stephen Wright, aged 38, from Tipton – two years and six months after pleading guilty to conspiracy to supplying heroin and cocaine
Ayomide Ogunbodede, aged 24, from Wolverhampton – five years and one month after pleading guilty to supplying heroin and cocaine
Rachel Wiley, aged 42, from Willenhall – Will be sentenced at a later date
