Moseley drug dealer jailed for running County Lines network to Leominster

A Moseley drug dealer is one of the latest to be jailed in West Midlands Police biggest ever County Lines operation.

Lee Sheldon Carr was running a network from Birmingham to Leominster, using a drug addicts address in the market town in Herefordshire as a base to supply crack cocaine and heroin.

On Thursday (7 April) he was jailed for six years and nine months after admitting conspiracy to supply Class A drugs.

It’s the latest, and final, imprisonment in Op Ballet – a joint operation between the West Midlands Regional Organised Crime Unit (ROCU) and West Mercia Police into County Lines running into Hereford, Malvern and Leominster.

Carr is the 64th person to be jailed under Op Ballet in which brought down 11 significant County Lines and put offenders behind bars for a total of 251 years and two months.

How was Lee Sheldon Carr caught?

Carr ran what was known as the ‘AKBG’ County Line which was found to have a significant foothold on the drugs market in Leominster.

The 29-year-old used a Birmingham associate to travel to Leominster and co-ordinate sales on his behalf, though he occasionally made the trip himself using hire cars.

Police raided his home in Chestnut Road, Moseley on 27 November 2018 and found the main drugs line plus £2,000 in cash.

Examination of the phone revealed the extent of his drug dealing.

In August 2020 Carr’s 27-year-old co-conspirator was jailed for two years eight months.

What have West Midlands Police said about the case?

West Midlands ROCU Detective Inspector Julie Woods oversaw Op Ballet. She said: “The operation began back in 2017 with a series of co-ordinated raids on drug dealers across the West Midlands.

“It’s been a challenging investigation, lots of covert enquiries to identify offenders and detailed phone work to evidence the extent of their drug dealing.

“Cases have been delayed due to Covid but we’ve been determined to ensure these gangs were brought to justice.

“Carr exploited a drug user as part of his operation and that kind of exploitation, with children often groomed to sell drugs in the street, is part of the County Lines model.

“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.

“I hope this operation shows how seriously we take County Lines dealing and acts as a warning to offenders that they face many years behind bars.”

Can I help?

West midlands Police said that information from the community played an important role in helping them bring down County Lines networks.

If anyone suspects drug dealing in their community they should contact their police force on 101 or call the charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.

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