Two members of an organised crime gang which operated stash houses in Nottingham and sold drugs on the streets have been sentenced. The gang would send out mass marketing messages to addicts, or potential customers with drugs advertised in code.
Both men were members of the organised crime gang (OCG) dubbed the Django Line which was responsible for taking drugs from the cross-border stash houses into Lincoln and dealing in the High Street and other areas.
Police said it is estimated that in just 59 days, the OCG made almost £20,000 worth of drug deals. The investigation carried out by Lincolnshire Police in partnership with the East Midlands Special Operations Unit (EMSOU) also uncovered illegal weapons including a zombie knife, lock knives, and machetes.
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Now, Kelvin Tutani, 27, of Yarborough Road, Lincoln has been sentenced to four years and ten months for conspiracy to supply Class A drugs and possession of an altered firearm without a firearm certificate. The weapon, a shortened shotgun, had been found during warrants carried out at his rented flat in Yarborough Road. Evidence showed he had handled the weapon.
Fellow gang member Alex Amanuel, 28, has also been sentenced to four years and two months for conspiracy to supply Class A drugs.
During sentencing, Judge Sjolin Knight praised the investigative team, saying: "I have been very impressed by this investigation. I commend all the officers and civilian investigators for their excellent and vital work, and for the good of society."
Police said the hearing at Lincoln Crown Court marks the end of two years of investigation and court prosecutions which has seen a total of 45 people from Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire and Lancashire jailed for their part in the conspiracy.
In total, they have been given 130 years between them in prison, as well as community orders and suspended sentences, and three vulnerable people exploited by the groups were also identified.
The operation was led by Lincolnshire Police in partnership with the East Midlands Special Operations Unit (EMSOU). Funding support was provided from the National County Lines Coordination Centre.
Detective Sergeant Adam Petty was part of the team who led the operation. He said: “Today draws a significant line underneath prolific drug dealing in Lincoln city centre which was spilling out into violence and other offending on our streets. This dates back to 2021 when we began to build an intelligence picture around County Lines activity taking place in our city.
"We knew we had to tackle this swiftly to limit the risk to our community. We have removed hundreds of thousands of pounds of drugs from our street, and more than 40 criminals who saw Lincoln as a soft target. Our work isn’t over; we continue to tackle drug dealing in the city centre and elsewhere in the county. We do this for our community, and we and we won’t stop.”
The ten-month operation was a Force-wide effort, including PCs, intelligence officers, detectives, armed response officers, forensics units, police staff, investigators and analysts. It also included officers from South Yorkshire Police, Nottinghamshire Police, Lancashire Police, West Midlands Police, and British Transport Police.
The operation was provided with funding support from the National County Lines Coordination Centre.
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