Big city gangs vie for control of drug market
CRIMINAL gangs from Manchester and Liverpool are vying for control of Macclesfield’s drug market, detectives have warned.
Detective Sergeant Jonathan Ryder said Macclesfield is being targeted by dealers earning up to £3,000 a day selling cocaine and heroin.
But with criminals facing sentences of up to five years if caught, Det Sgt Ryder said more and more dealers are trying to trap local addicts into a cycle of debt and force them to take the risks on their behalf.
It comes as two dealers from Liverpool were locked up for a total of eight years after admitting playing a significant role in a drugs in Macclesfield.
Anthony Wales and Sean Rockcliffe both admitted conspiracy to supply heroin and cocaine.
Det Sgt Ryder said the gangs are mainly based in cities like Manchester and Liverpool and use a tactic called ‘cuckooing’ to infiltrate towns like Macclesfield.
Under the system, gang members aim to trap vulnerable drug users into debt and force them to deal their drugs, while allowing the gangs to stay hidden from the eyes of the law.
Police have dubbed the method of dealing as ‘county lines’ in reference to the phone networks being used to supply drugs to smaller town from big cities. Det Sgt Ryder said: “Gangs will target a place where there are vulnerable people, be it in terms of their mental health or another reason and they will literally take over their property and use it as a base to deal drugs from.
“They will offer the users drugs at an incredibly cheap price to hook them on it and the user will quickly find themselves in debt to the gang.
“They will then use this to force the user to become their local dealer.
“We are aware of this situation and the methods which are used to coerce local drug users to deal for the gangs.”
Det Sgt Ryder said the system had much wider implications for the rest of the borough.
He added:“The problem is the users have to find the money from somewhere and nine out of ten times that is, driven by and drives, property thefts such as burglary, and shop lifting.
“They need to feed their habit and can spend between £50 and £100 per day and the only way, realistically, they can fund it is through theft or drug dealing.”
Detectives say that when gangs can’t access local users, young men from the gang are used to travel directly from the larger cities to deal the drugs.
But with thousands to be made in Macclesfield alone, the officer says for organised gangs it is worth the risk.
He said: “Sometimes they can’t get local users to deal drugs and have to do it themselves, but if they don’t have to they won’t.
“They take a substantial risk. The people involved tend to be males in their mid twenties and to get a five year prison sentence at that time of life is a real risk to their liberty that they are willing to take because of the monetary reward.”
Det Sgt Ryder leads a dedicated unit of specially trained officers, working to combat organised crime in Macclesfield.
He said: “We have been running as a dedicated force for the past six months and as a local force we punch well above our weight and take down these drug gangs in their own cities of Liverpool and Manchester.
“It is a considerable problem for the police which is why I lead a team dedicated to dealing with county lines.
“It is a very in-depth role and I lead a team of between five and seven officers. There is a lot of mobile and telephone work, so it is quite a skilled role they are in.”
“We also have officers attached to my unit for periods of time to share those skills across the police force.”
Despite the complex nature of county lines however, police are going toe to toe with drug gangs.
Det Sgt Ryder added: “This is a team of very dedicated officers and we are getting some really good results.”