A man who controlled the supply of heroin and cocaine flowing between Coventry and Skegness has been sentenced to nine years in prison.
Alistair Renwick, 32, sourced the Class A drugs and organised their distribution at street level.
Conservative estimates by a drugs expert are that there were around 30 deals a day taking place, accounting for around two kilos of the Class A drugs finding its way to the streets of Skegness. He did this with a Coventry-based associate, who is now deceased.
Police said:
‘Our investigation was months in the making, as we gathered crucial evidence to show how significant the County Lines drugs operation was.
‘It all led back to Renwick and his associate. They orchestrated the recruitment of numerous people to build a sophisticated network and business model for the drugs operation, dubbed the Abs line, which would ensure a continual flow of drugs was available.
‘The methods used were borrowed from successful marketing tactics used by big brands, and preyed on some of the most vulnerable addicted users.
‘The drug dealing group that Renwick controlled regularly sent bulk marketing messages, advertising the ‘products’ available. This kept the highly addictive substances front and centre in the minds of the users.
‘The Abs line operated their business on a daily basis, only slowing once demand had outstripped drugs stock.
‘When that happened, they rapidly reloaded supplies and followed that up with more marketing messages. Our officers tracked their movements using traffic data and other tactics to place them at the scene of deals and key storage locations of the drugs.
‘The drugs were moved by car into the local area, and runs to resupply were happening weekly. Renwick, of Provost Road, Manby, was supported by a trusted network of other drug dealers and couriers.
‘Michael Gerrie, 44, of Campbell Crescent, Porstoy in Abereen, was one of the street-level dealers working in Skegness, entrusted with a stock of drugs and involved in at least one courier run.
‘Callum Trainor, 22, of Widdrington Road, Coventry, was a key player in the ability for the business to carry out its daily supply. He acted as a courier, bringing the drugs from Coventry into Skegness, alongside another courier, Brian Parker, 50, of Mansfield Road, Worksop, who ran the other way between Skegness and Coventry to resupply when stocks ran low.
‘As a result of the work by the investigative team, one man at risk of being a victim of modern slavery was safeguarded.
‘Our investigation focused on 1 September 2021 to 1 October 2022, with evidence gathered including phone data, traffic and vehicle tracking, forensics, CCTV and other footage. A number of warrants were also carried out at properties in both Skegness and Coventry.
‘Arrests were made in October 2022. Within weeks, everyone in the Abs line was charged.’
Detective Inspector William Tharby from the Serious Organised Crime Team at Lincolnshire Police led the investigation. He said: “This operation has been complex and taxing, stretching the investigation team and supporting units to their limits. County Lines drugs operations – a term used to describe criminals using a phone line to conduct their operations across different county borders – operate on exploitation.
“We had been seeing increasing reports of drug use and associated crime in the Skegness area during lockdown, and we needed to take action to keep the community, as well as those vulnerable users, safe. So much of what we do relies on the help and cooperation of local residents and businesses who share information and support our investigations, and this has been no exception. I want to thank people for that support, because it really does make a difference.
“So many different teams from the police have come together to bring these people to justice, including local Neighbourhood Policing Teams in Skegness, the Digital Forensic Team, telecoms teams and Economic Crime Unit (ECU), along with teams securing arrests on the enforcement period including our colleagues from the West Midlands. It’s truly been a team effort.”
All four were sentenced at Lincoln Crown Court on Wednesday 23 and Thursday 24 April. A further five people are due to be sentenced in June for a variety of charges. The four sentenced recently in court were all charged with conspiracy to supply Class A drugs (cocaine) conspiracy to supply Class A drugs (heroin). The sentences were:
- Alistair Renwick: Nine years
- Michael Gerrie: Two years and four months
- Callum Trainor: Three years and four months
- Brian Parker: Two years, suspended for two years
