County Lines drugs gang taken down in 'phenomenal' bust

A DRUGS gang peddling crack cocaine and heroin between Liverpool, Gosport and Plymouth has been taken down after years' work in a 'phenomenal' bust by police.

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Over the course of the investigation, 4kg of drugs and more than £30,000 in cash were seized by police, along with a number of weapons.

Between 1 January, 2022, and 28 March, 2023, the network sold at least 25kg of crack cocaine and heroin in Gosport, and roughly 9.6kg in Plymouth.

Hampshire & Isle of Wight Constabulary's Northern Area Serious & Organised Crime Unit (SOCU) led the investigation into the County Lines drugs supply network, with the support of Merseyside Police and Devon & Cornwall Police, resulting in the operation being dismantled.

By targeting suppliers in Gosport, police were able to work their way up the chain of command to identify couriers, operational managers and ultimately two heads of the Organised Crime Group (OCG) - brothers Anthony and Brian Siner.

Anthony oversaw the Siner OCG, running heroin and crack cocaine through Gosport, while Brian controlled the line operating in Plymouth from his prison cell, where he was coming to the end of a 14-year sentence for previous drugssupply offences in Liverpool.