Kirkby man jailed for county lines drug supply

A man from Kirkby who ran a county lines drugs operation has been jailed five years and seven months.

Thomas Begg, 20, of Alvanley Road, Kirkby, was sentenced at Liverpool Crown Court today (23 January) for being concerned in the supply of Class A drugs (heroin and crack cocaine).

Begg was arrested on 28 November 2024 following an investigation where Project Medusa officers identified him as running the ‘Frankie’ county lines drug operation between Kirkby and St Helens.

On his arrest, Begg was found in possession of a mobile phone which officers proved was used to advertise and sell heroin and crack cocaine through the ‘Frankie’ drug line. 

Project Medusa is the Merseyside-led initiative to tackle County Lines drug dealing and child criminal exploitation across the country.

Detective Sergeant Gerard Farley said: “Through our investigation, we were able to prove that Begg was controlling a drugs line operating between Kirkby and St Helens.

“This sentence shows our commitment to bringing individuals involved in county lines to justice. We have removed another drug dealer from our community and stopped a large quantity of Class A drugs finding their way onto the streets.

“Project Medusa is a year-round operation, and we are using all resources available to us to crackdown on county lines. I would like to encourage anyone with information about drug dealing to report this to us via 101 or anonymously via Crimestoppers.”

Anyone who has any information about County Lines drug dealing in their area or anyone who is concerned about someone who may be being exploited by these gangs, can contact @CrimestoppersUK completely anonymously on 0800 555 111 or contact 101. In an emergency always contact 999. 

The Eyes Open campaign raises awareness about the growing issue of child criminal exploitation and county lines. For more information, visit: www.eyes-open.co.uk