Rugby county lines dealer jailed following seizure of more than £20k worth of cocaine

A man who was part of a county line drug dealing network in Rugby has been jailed for 44 months.

The sentence came after an investigation by Rugby Serious Organised Crime Team.

Ankel Ndreu, 19, was arrested as part of a week of action targeting county lines drug dealing in Warwickshire.

Ndreu came to the attention of detectives when they were carrying out plain clothed patrols in Railway Terrace on October 9. They spotted him pull up in a car before another man climbed in and left a short time later heading to a block of flats linked to local drug users.

Officers spotted the same car the following day in Corporation Street and followed it to York Street where they attempted to stop the vehicle.

Ndreu fled from the vehicle and following a short foot chase he was arrested in Dale Street.

Officers retraced his steps and found a bag containing 23 wraps of cocaine. A search of Ndreu led to the seizure of £2,000 in cash and a mobile phone.

An analysis of the phone at the scene showed that Ndreu lived at a house in York Street which was then searched by the officers. Here they found a quarter kilo of cocaine with a street value of between £20k-£30k.

Ndreu was jailed at Warwick Crown Court yesterday (Thursday, November 9) having pleaded guilty to possession with intent to supply cocaine, driving without insurance, and driving without a licence.

Detective Constable Gary Hammond from Rugby Serious Organised Crime Team said: “We strongly suspect Ndreu was one part of a wider county lines drug network transporting drugs into Rugby. As well as this successful conviction, our activity has also left a drug gang significantly out of pocket.

“Putting Ndreu behind bars removes another threat from the streets of Rugby as we continue our efforts to rid the town of the scourge of this criminal activity.”

This activity is part of the force’s commitment to tackle serious and organised crime in Warwickshire as part of Operation Target. The local community can help us by continuing to report any concerns around criminal activity. The easiest way to do this is on our website at www.warwickshire.police.uk/report. All information, no matter how small it may seem, could make a difference.

If you have information about drug dealing and want to stay anonymous you can make a report to the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or at wwwCrimestoppers-org.uk

For more information on county lines drug crime and how to spot the signs go to County Lines | Warwickshire Police