County lines drug dealer jailed

A drug dealer involved in county lines drug dealing has been jailed.

Gavin Oliver, 37, from Queens Square in Wolverhampton, was sentenced to four years 6 months on Friday 4 December at Shrewsbury Crown Court after pleading guilty the day before to possession with intent to supply.

Oliver was arrested by the Local Policing Priorities Team in Shrewsbury town centre in February this year.

He was in possession of 41 wraps of crack cocaine and heroin with a value of £410, cash and two so called ‘burner’ phones.

Shropshire’s Local Organised Crime Team carried out an investigation and a subsequent search of his home found £300 worth of heroin and “mamba” packed up ready to be dealt on the streets.

Messages recovered from Oliver’s phones revealed he had been travelling to Shrewsbury from Wolverhampton on a near daily basis to sell the drugs in the town centre.

Detective Sergeant Steve Miller, from Shropshire’s Local Organised Crime Team, said: “This is a substantial sentence and highlights our commitment to disrupting county lines drug dealing.

“The associated harm with county lines such as criminal exploitation, cuckoo-ing and street violence is far-reaching and we will not stop in our efforts to relentlessly pursue those involved.”

West Mercia Police’s Protect campaign aims to tackle serious and organised crime together and is underpinned by a four P principle – Pursue, Prevent, Protect and Prepare.

ISSUED: EH, Corporate Communications.