Three men involved in a County Lines drug operation in Loughborough were jailed in July after being convicted of conspiracy to supply Class A drugs.
The operation was led by 21-year-old Travis Woolnough, who recruited Dipesh Patel, also 21, to handle the deliveries, while Charlie Shak, 48, was responsible for packaging and occasionally delivering the drugs. The group was found to have distributed heroin and crack cocaine to over 200 users in the Loughborough area.
The men were arrested by Leicestershire Police in May as part of a national crackdown on County Lines drug dealing, known as County Lines Intensification Week. These schemes typically involve dealers from large cities infiltrating smaller towns, often exploiting vulnerable individuals and taking over their homes to operate as local bases.
The investigation into Woolnough’s drug line began in January this year, and police tracked communications on their phones that revealed they were offering drugs to a large number of users. The three men all pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply Class A drugs.
Travis Woolnough, from Lee Circle, Leicester, was sentenced to three years in prison. Dipesh Patel, from Prestold Road, Leicester, received three years and four months, while Charlie Shak, from Wide Lane, Hathern, near Loughborough, was sentenced to two years and four months.
Leicestershire Police have highlighted the serious impact of County Lines operations on communities, particularly the exploitation of vulnerable people, and have vowed to continue their efforts to disrupt such networks.
The sentences serve as a reminder of the authorities’ ongoing commitment to tackling drug-related crime and dismantling organized criminal operations.
