County Lines Crackdown: Three Jailed for Flooding Carlisle with Class A Drugs
Three drug dealers behind a ruthless county lines operation in Carlisle have been slammed with prison sentences after a major Cumbria Police investigation. The trio pumped crack cocaine and heroin into the area, but justice caught up with them.
Dealer Details: Luke Waeling, Alexander Nyarashe & Laura McGannon Sentenced
- Luke Waeling, 34, from Hastings, Sussex, admitted conspiracy to supply crack and heroin. He got two years and seven months behind bars.
- Alexander Nyarashe, 22, of liverpool/" title="Liverpool" data-wpil-keyword-link="linked">Liverpool, pleaded guilty to supply offences and was handed three years and six months.
- Laura McGannon, 33, Carlisle resident, admitted supply charges and was sentenced to two years and four months.
Operation Denier: Police Smash ‘Red’ County Line Drug Ring
The investigation kicked off in May 2020 when Cumbria Police spotted a new county line using a phone number ending in 666. The number blasted out mass texts advertising crack cocaine and heroin under the street name ‘Red’.
The North Area Drugs Squad launched Operation Denier to peel back the layers of this sinister trade flooding Carlisle with Class A drugs.
Undercover Work & CCTV Lead to Big Bust
Telecom data revealed the 666 number was buzzing all over Carlisle, hitting up known local users. CCTV at Carlisle train station caught two men arriving the day the phone became active.
On 19 May, officers spotted Waeling leaving a flat on Millholme Avenue and meeting a local drug user. Both were detained. Although no drugs were found on them, the user’s phone showed he had called the 666 number just before arrest.
Inside the flat, officers found Alexander Nyarashe flushing drugs down the toilet. They recovered £700 cash, 22.5g heroin lump, 18.4g crack lump, 106 crack wraps, and 23 heroin wraps – street value £4,215. A loaded crossbow was creepy-close to the entrance, ready to be fired.
McGannon Arrested as ‘Red Line’ Phone Surfaces
Billing data revealed the 666 phone was still active and linked to local woman Laura McGannon since 2018. Police arrested her at her Dalton Avenue home on 20 May, where they found the elusive 666 phone, cash, and cutting powders.
McGannon aided distribution of the drugs across Carlisle, police said.
Drill Rap Brags Helped Prove Gangs’ Violent Intentions
Met Police gang specialists helped decode threatening ‘drill’ lyrics on Nyarashe’s phone. Featuring boasts of machetes, shotguns, and handguns, the tracks revealed a brutal lifestyle tied to their county lines dealings.
Police Warn: Cumbria Not a Soft Touch for Drug Gangs
“Organised gangs continue trying to exploit vulnerable people here. But with community support and strong policing, we’re putting an end to it,” said Detective Constable Tim Prangnell.
“Cumbria is not a soft touch. Those intent on exploiting our communities should think twice about coming here to ply their destructive trade.”
