Wirral man jailed for county lines drug supply

A man from Wirral has been jailed for six years for the supply of Class A drugs.

James Byrne, 22, of Thorburn Road, New Ferry, was sentenced at Liverpool Crown Court on Thursday 1 February for being concerned in the supply of heroin and crack cocaine.

Byrne was identified by Operation Toxic officers as part of an investigation into the supply of Class A drugs in the New Ferry and Woodchurch area of Wirral. Officers carried out a warrant on Thorburn Road in December 2022, where they arrested Byrne.

He was later charged with being concerned in the supply of crack cocaine and heroin and was remanded in custody.

PICTURED: James Byrne

Detective Inspector Gary Stratton said: “I hope that this sentencing proves that crime does not pay, and we will work tirelessly to make sure those who try to profit from the sale of illegal drugs are handed lengthy jail terms for their crimes.

“Project Medusa and teams across the force are working day in, day out, to tackle county lines drug dealing and the exploitation of young, vulnerable people in our communities.

“Information from the public is vital to continue to breakdown the organised crime groups who bring misery to our streets, and I would appeal to anyone who has information to come forward.”

Operation Toxic is part of Project Medusa – a Merseyside-led initiative set up to tackle County Lines drug dealing and child criminal exploitation across the country. This operation runs alongside the Clear, Hold, Build project, known locally as EVOLVE, which launched in the Woodchurch, Beechwood and Noctorum areas in May 2023.

Since 2019, Merseyside’s Project Medusa officers – who are recognised nationally as a leading force in tackling county lines – have closed more than 1,100 county lines; arrested more than 2,400 people for offences including drug supply, firearms and money laundering; and identified 1,250 children and vulnerable adults who have been referred to safeguarding services.

Merseyside Police’s ‘Silence is Not an Option’ campaign focuses on changing attitudes towards reporting gang-related activity and increasing intelligence reports to Crimestoppers anonymously to report serious and organised crime in Merseyside. For more information, please visit: Give information 100% anonymously about organised crime in Merseyside | Crimestoppers (crimestoppers-uk.org)

If you have any information about County Lines activity in your area DM @MerPolCC or contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111. In an emergency always call 999.