Midlands man jailed for drug supply as part of county lines crackdown
Dealers involved in supplying drugs throughout West Mercia and the West Midlands have been jailed for a total of 251 years.
Lee Sheldon Carr, of Chestnut Road, Moseley, became the last of 64 people sentenced as part of Operation Ballet – a major investigation between West Mercia and West Midlands Police.
Carr, 29, initially arrested in 2018, was sentenced to six years and nine months after admitting to supplying class A drugs.
He ran the 'AKBG' county line, cuckooing a drug addict’s house in Leominster to use as a base to supply large amounts of crack cocaine and heroin in the area.
Operation Ballet was a joint operation between the West Midlands Regional Organised Crime Unit and West Mercia Police with 11 significant county lines brought down, severing the supply of drugs from Birmingham into Leominster, Hereford and Malvern.
Detective Sergeant Nicky Cleeton said: “This has been a complex investigation but the hard work of everyone involved has paid off with some significant results.
“Drugs ruin lives and poison communities and we remain dedicated to breaking supply lines through our region. We will continue to strive to keep drugs off our streets and protect vulnerable people.
"The operation would not have been as successful without help from the public and we urge anyone with any concerns about drugs to please get in touch. We act on all reports we receive.”
Detective Inspector Julie Woods, who oversaw Op Ballet, added: “The operation, which began back in 2017, has been a challenging investigation with lots of covert enquiries to identify offenders and detailed phone work to evidence the extent of their drug dealing.
“These offenders are ruthless and think nothing of exploiting vulnerable people, putting them at risk of serious harm, while they sit back and count the money. These sentences send a strong messages that drug dealers will be caught and they face many years in prison.”
Anyone with any concerns about drug crime can call 101 or visit westmercia.police.uk/ro/report/. Always dial 999 in an emergency.
Alternatively, if you have information but don’t feel comfortable speaking to police, you can speak to the independent charity Crimestoppers. It is 100 per cent anonymous, they never ask your name and they cannot trace your call or IP address. You can contact them at crimestoppers-uk.org/ or 0800 555 111.
