Drug Dealer Crashes Family Day Out to Run Manchester County Lines
Jerome Gordon took a casual trip to Knowsley Safari Park – but he wasn’t just enjoying the family fun. He was secretly running a busy County Lines drug operation battling it out across North and Central Manchester.
How The Phone Line Unravelled The Drug Empire
In 2023, Greater Manchester Police’s County Lines Team caught wind of a hot phone line pushing class-A drugs through Manchester. The phone buzzed non-stop with thousands of “flare messages” – coded mass texts informing customers of deals and drug drop locations.
- Typical messages included: “about in car”, “about fast”, and “on till 1”.
- The texts sent customers racing to meet dealers at all hours.
Chased by Police – Drug Dealer’s Crash Leads to Arrest
Police tracked the suspect’s phone to the Prescot/Knowsley area on August 21. That’s when they linked Gordon to the line. On September 1, he tried to outrun cops in North Manchester but crashed his car and tried to flee on foot.
Officers found the phone that connected the drug operation, plus numbers linked to Gordon and his girlfriend, inside the wrecked vehicle.
Raids Seize Evidence, Gordon Faces Justice
By September 26, police raided Gordon’s properties in North Manchester, recovering burner phones, iPhones, cash, snap bags, and scales with suspicious white residue – all evidence of his widespread drug dealing.
Jerome Gordon, of Hadlow Walk, pleaded guilty at Manchester Crown Court. He’s been slapped with a three-year sentence for conspiracy to supply class-A drugs.
