Nine men, who dealt crack cocaine, cocaine, heroin and cannabis in a Lincolnshire town over several months, have been jailed.
A seven-month operation was launched by the East Midlands Special Operations Unit after the Gainsborough Neighbourhood Policing Team (NPT) identified the emerging issue, in which users were even sent marketing text messages advertising the substances on sale.
Intelligence officers and the local officers spent months gathering community intelligence, alongside other investigative methods by regional officers and staff, to determine who was responsible for the dealing, before specialist teams executed a series of early-morning warrants in May 2020.
Assistant Chief Constable of Lincolnshire Police, Kerrin Wilson, said: "Organised criminality such as this seeks to prey on vulnerable people, and we knew that these individuals were a blight on their community, because with drugs always comes other issues. "This was a very thorough and involved investigation, and it’s thanks to the hard work and determination of our officers and staff to improve the communities they serve that we are here today, with results which send a clear message that we will not tolerate dealing in our county at any level."
This positive result is owed in part to intelligence received from the local community. If you have any concerns about your area or an individual, please contact police either through 101 or message Crimestoppers or dial 0800 555111, anonymously .
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