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A major county lines drug operation was busted after boozy dealers accidentally left 50K worth of heroin – in a pub.
The gang have now been jailed for over 30 years after two of them left a major deal in a local boozer – and event went back to try and get it.
Kevin Condliffe, 46, Richard McLean, 39, Kieron Ellis, 44, and Jonathan Fincham, 52 were sentenced at Truro Crown Court today (24/4) after pleading guilty to conspiracy to the supply of Class A controlled drugs.
Devon & Cornwall Police identified the ‘Scouse Mick’ group as part of ‘Operation Foxshine’ – a review into the supply and distribution of Class A drugs.
The four men had been transporting drugs from Liverpool to Cornwall by car and using the Royal Mail to post the cash profits back up the line to their associates.
At one point in September 2021 police say Condliffe and McLean accidentally left a carrier bag filled with £50,000-worth of heroin in coffee jars inside a pub.
The pair later returned to recover the bag – only to find that customers and staff at Newquay pub had assisted Police in seizing it.
Police also analyzed over 140 parcels sent by the group between 1 January 2021 and 14 July 2022 – which were estimated to contain more than £560,000 in cash.
Thousands of messages between the four were also found on mobile devices discussing the distribution of drugs and movement of cash, despite the group often changing phones to evade detection.
All four were arrested on 14 July as part of a simultaneous Police action in Cornwall’s Helston, Penzance and Carbis Bay, as well as Liverpool – executing a total of 11 warrants.
The investigation team, along with Royal Mail, have received an International Digital Investigation Award (IDIA) for their work on the case.
Detective Inspector Glenn Willcocks, Senior Investigating Officer, said: “We worked closely with the Royal Mail and Merseyside Police to identify the patterns and behaviours being used by this group.
“We were then able to track the volume and frequency of the parcels which enabled us to understand the scale of the group, take action against the offenders and dismantle the drugs line.
“This is an example of how these groups will adapt the ways they work with the times and that’s something that police and other agencies must be alive to.
“This was no side line job, those sentenced today played pivotal roles in this group and benefitted from the proceeds of crime.”
The men were setenced to a total of 31 years in jail on Monday.
Kevin Condliffe, of Carr Lane East, Liverpool, was jailed for nine years and six months, while Richard McLean of Curtana Crescent, Liverpool, was handed eight years and six months.
Kieron Ellis of Carbis Bay, Penzance will serve seven years, while Jonathan Fincham, of Pellor Fields, Helston will serve the shortst sentence of six years and six months.
Christine Hart, of the CPS South West Complex Casework Unit, said: “The use of the Royal Mail Postal Service to send cash profits back to Liverpool was a unique tactic employed by this organised crime group to try and avoid the repeated short ‘cash courier’ journeys which usually feature in County Lines drug dealing.
“Despite this, Kevin Condliffe and Richard McLean still drew attention to themselves whilst drinking in the Quintrell Inn, Newquay on 5th September 2021 and left behind their bag containing 0.5kg heroin which had a street value of £50,000.
“Following intervention by the customers and staff at the Quintrell Inn, who recovered the bag before Condliffe and McLean even realised it was missing, together with the subsequent police investigation, those drugs, and many others, never made it to the street.
“Drug-related crime is corrosive – it damages not only those involved in buying and selling and their families, but the communities in which they live.
“The CPS is committed to working with the police to disrupt the supply of drugs by bringing those involved to justice and ensuring they do not profit from their criminality.”
Detective Sergeant Gerard Farley from Merseyside Police added: “We welcome today’s sentencing of Condliffe, McLean, Fincham and Ellis.
“This investigation involved working closely with Devon and Cornwall Police to gather sufficient intelligence to execute warrants and seizures, and ultimately shut down the ‘Scouse Mick’ County Line.
“The four men involved were key figures in the drug supply chain from Liverpool to Cornwall and we are pleased they are now behind bars and unable to cause any more harm in our communities.
“Project Medusa is Merseyside’s dedicated response to County Lines, and we are committed to working alongside other forces to close them down and protect vulnerable people.”
A Royal Mail spokesperson said: “Our security teams work very closely with police forces and will often assist officers with their expertise and the tools at their disposal. As was the case here.
“We are very pleased their support in this investigation led to a conviction and this substantial sentence. We will always do everything we can to make our service extremely hostile to criminals.”
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