Edgbaston man jailed for running county line supplying crack cocaine and heroin

A man from Edgbaston has been jailed for more than five years for running a county lines drug dealing operation.

Shadrach Tapper, 29, was arrested on 17 November 2020 in Redditch when officers from West Mercia Police acted on information they were given by the public.

The information they received led to an investigation into a ‘county line’ dealing drugs from Birmingham into Redditch called the ‘Marlow Line’.

On 17 November detectives received information that Tapper, who considered to be playing a significant role in the county line was at an address of a vulnerable drug user in the Redditch area.

Following his arrest, police discovered that Tapper was in charge of the Marlow Line which had been dealing drugs into Redditch for some considerable time.

Tapper, of Ashley Close in Edgbaston, was convicted of being concerned in the supply of crack cocaine and heroin and was sentenced to 67 and half months in prison.

What did officers say about the case?

Detective Constable David Laver said: “Disrupting the Marlow Line which has been distributing drugs into Redditch will go a long way to protecting many young people who are often vulnerable and keep them from being further exploited. A County Line that ruins people’s lives and causing untold collateral damage.

“Tackling drugs and organised crime is a force priority for West Mercia Police and we will continue to pursue those involved in these offences and the associated harm such as criminal exploitation, cuckoo-ing and street violence in Redditch and across North Worcestershire.”

“Our team work tirelessly identifying gang members such as Tapper and preventing his distribution of drugs into our community. But much of our work and intelligence comes from our communities who have had enough of picking up the pieces of lives destroyed by drugs and the criminal activity that surrounds them.

“I would ask anyone who is concerned that drug dealing is happening in their street or town to please contact us, or Crimestoppers and we will investigate. We are determined to keep people safe and protect them from harm and working together we can achieve this and put people like Tapper in prison.

“I welcome Tapper’s sentence which is a warning to those county lines dealers coming into our towns and villages that when you are arrested and charged, you can expect a significant prison sentence.”

If you don’t want to speak to police, you can anonymously contact the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or online https://crimestoppers-uk.org/

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