Police send texts to 2,000 customers found on drug dealer's phone
Police have sent text messages more than 2,000 customers found on a county lines drug dealer's phone.
The phone was seized as part of an investigation into a drugs network that is supplying up to £3,000 worth of cocaine a day across Birmingham and into Worcestershire.
Four men have been charged with drugs supply and are on remand in prison awaiting trial.
Analysis of the dealer hotline revealed the mobile numbers of more than 2,000 contacts who were receiving SMS marketing updates from the drugs line.
One of those numbers was traced to a healthcare worker, another to a man working in hospitality, and it is suspected many more customers will be middle class professionals with ‘social’ cocaine habits.
On Tuesday this week, they received warning messages telling them their phone numbers have been identified as part of a drugs supply investigation.
The County Lines Taskforce was fully launched last June and since then the team has shut down 169 lines and is actively investigating hundreds more.
Exploited
Detective Inspector Dan Rooks said: “Forensic analysis of the line – known as the Razor Line – shows the marketing messages being issued are appealing to the middle classes that use cocaine socially as well as those who have addictions.
“Intelligence suggests vulnerable people are being exploited and groomed to carry out drug dealing on behalf of the line. They are taking all the risks and their exploiters are making big profits.
“We want drug users to know their cocaine habit is directly leading to the abuse of children and to urge them to take action to address their addictions.
“We’ve arrested one user already and will be paying some of these others a visit over the coming weeks. They need to understand that if they are fuelling County Lines drug dealing they also risk arrest.”
The phone was seized from a 31-year-old Solihull man on November 25 last year after officers stopped a car in the Small Heath area.
Warrants followed at addresses in Erdington, Acocks Green and Oldbury on December 8 where two men were arrested and drugs plus a gun and ammunition recovered.
The firearm – a 12 Gauge self-loading shotgun – was found to have been stolen during a burglary of a weapons shop in Nottinghamshire.
Men aged 24, 31, 33 and 35 have so far been charged with possessing drugs with intent to supply.
