Major county-lines drug gang raking in £1.2MILLION a year smashed as 12 members jailed for more than 100 years
MEMBERS of a £1.2million-a-year county lines drug coalition have been given jail terms totalling more than 100 years.
The four lines, nicknamed Rico, Diego, Figo and Potter, linked up to sell heroin and crack cocaine, taking 1,000 calls a day.
They also sent bulk advertising messages to their customers.
But their network across the streets of Birmingham and Solihull, West Mids, was unravelled in a six-month police investigation.
It revealed that Levy Mukwita, 25, was working for the Potter line but also acted as a middle man, supplying drugs to all four lines.
He was one of 12 men jailed for between four years, eight months, and 12 years, ten months, at Birmingham crown court this week.
Rico line lynchpin Aadam Iqbal, 28, was handed one of the longest sentences at 12 years and six months.
Det Sgt Craig Tennant, of West Midlands Police, said: “The four lines operated under a unique model and they all worked together as a coalition, which is rare to see with drug lines.
“It meant they could service more customers and earn more money.”
Police think the gang earned £1.8million in the 18 months it is known to have been active.