Image copyright Northumbria Police
A dealer who masterminded a "sophisticated drugs operation" has been jailed for seven years.
Darren McBride, along with two associates, supplied Class A drugs from addresses in Houghton-le-Spring and Hetton-le-Hole, Tyne and Wear.
During a police raid in May 2016 he broke his ankle trying to evade them.
The 35-year-old, of Pauls Green, Hetton-le-Hole, admitted conspiracy to supply Class A drugs during an earlier appearance at Newcastle Crown Court.
The judge also sentenced each of his two associates, Ryan Crake, 27 and of Morris Terrace, Houghton-le-Spring, and 40-year-old Kriss Bunker, of George Street, Hetton-le-Hole, to 24 months, suspended for two years.
They had both pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply Class A drugs and possessing criminal property during the same court appearance as McBride on 6 March 2020.
The court heard a Northumbria Police investigation - Operation Haymarket - came to a head in May 2016 when undercover officers carried out a day of covert surveillance on McBride's home address in May 2016.
Throughout the day, Bunker and Crake were both seen entering and leaving at short intervals.
When the address was raided McBride attempted to evade arrest, jumped over a wall and broke his ankle.
Inside the address, police found a set of scales which had been concealed inside a cereal box in the kitchen which had traces of cocaine present.
A short time later, officers raided Bunker's address and recovered £3,320 cash and more than 200g of high-purity cocaine, and he was subsequently arrested.
Police then arrested Crake after recovering £1,350 cash, a debtors list and more than 80g of illegal drugs from an address linked to him.
Detective Inspector Andy Richardson, of Northumbria Police, described it as a "sophisticated drugs operation".
He said: "They ran their illicit operation behind closed doors in the very heart of our community.
"There can be no little doubt that our region is a safer place now these men have been identified and convicted."
August 28, 2020 at 08:24PM
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'Sophisticated drugs operation' dealer jailed - BBC News
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