Man and woman found guilty of £400k Black Country County Lines drugs supply conspiracy
The county lines operation involved the use of a “switchboard” phone line known as ‘Milo’ which also operated as far as Corby, in Northamptonshire
A jury has found a man and a woman guilty of taking part in a Black Country-led crack cocaine and heroin operation estimated to have raked in sums of up to £400,000 for the culprits.
Wiktoria Gadja, of Walsall, and Kyle Sherbourne, of Corby, were found guilty after a trial at Wolverhampton Crown Court for conspiracy to supply class A drugs between January 1 and November 27 last year.
The county lines enterprise involved the use of a “switchboard” phone line known as the ‘Milo Line’ which also operated in Corby, Northamptonshire, where Sherbourne is based. The criminal activity which saw Gadja travel to Hatton Gardens to purchase a £6,500 diamond encrusted gold chain for line operator Luke Adams, was estimated to have earned between £130,460-£376,32.
On Friday the jury found Gadja, aged 21, of Floyds Lane, Rushall; and Sherbourne, aged 19, of Kelvin Grove, Corby, guilty of supplying Class A and conspiracy to supply Class A.
However, the jury cleared their co-defendants Connor Reed, aged 22, of Shaw Road, Dudley Port, Tipton, and Liam Hickman, aged 22, of Willow Close, Cradley Heath, of wrongdoing. All four had denied the offences.
Adams, aged 23, of Stanhope Road, Smethwick, whom the court heard was at the top of the tree in the illegal enterprise, and Ben Simpson, aged 20, of Blade Road, Corby. pleaded guilty ahead of the trial which involved the use CCTV and phone mast evidence lasted over a month.
All six were arrested by West Midlands Police in November after a joint investigation into a county lines operation in Corby with Northamptonshire Police.