A County Lines drug supplier was seen with a handgun in Swindon's Manchester Road area.
Eurico Tavares was among three County Lines dealers sentenced to a total of more than 10 years in prison.
The court case following investigations by Wiltshire Police’s dedicated response unit for serious and organised crime.
Tavares, 26, from Sandgate, Swindon sentenced to five years after admitting possessing a firearm and being concerned in the supply of crack cocaine and heroin.
Tavares was responsible for supplying the drugs over a period of time, culminating in an incident in May of this year when, during an altercation in the Manchester Road area of Swindon, he was seen carrying a handgun in his waist band.
He was arrested a short time later at his home address, where officers found a BB gun and recovered a mobile phone used to run a local drugs line. They also discovered a quantity of Class A drugs - heroin and crack cocaine - and £5,000 in folded bank notes.
Jose Rasgado, 36, from North Finchley, London, was sentenced to 30 months after pleading guilty to possession with intent to supply crack cocaine and heroin.
Rasgado was stopped as the front seat passenger in a vehicle on Queens Drive, Swindon, on 10 October, 2019. He attempted to conceal a package of Class A drugs whilst in a police vehicle but was caught by the onboard CCTV.
Darnell Brown, 20, from Handsworth, Birmingham, was sentenced to 44 months after pleading guilty to possession with intent to supply crack cocaine and heroin.
Brown was stopped as the front seat passenger in a vehicle on Turner Street, Swindon on the 3 August, 2021. He was seen to conceal a package of drugs which was later recovered in a strip search.
The police say the arrests were the result of a proactive investigation into county lines dealing from Gloucester to Swindon.
PC Emma Rice, from the Fortitude Team, said: “I am pleased that a custodial sentence has been handed to Rasgado - this reflects the severity of his actions and the impact this could have on many vulnerable people.
“We are committed to tackling county lines and will continue to target those involved in the supply of Class A drugs within our communities.
“This was the result of a proactive investigation into county lines dealing from Birmingham to Swindon.
“These sorts of groups not only peddle illegal drugs, which cause serious misery for vulnerable addicts and users, but also bring with them the associated exploitation, anti-social behaviour and violence.”
PC Chris Hemns, also from the Fortitude Team, said: “We always encourage the public to report any suspicious activity to police and hope the sentence passed reassures our communities that robust action will be taken against those identified as responsible.”
The court case following investigations by Wiltshire Police’s dedicated response unit for serious and organised crime.
Tavares, 26, from Sandgate, Swindon sentenced to five years after admitting possessing a firearm and being concerned in the supply of crack cocaine and heroin.
Tavares was responsible for supplying the drugs over a period of time, culminating in an incident in May of this year when, during an altercation in the Manchester Road area of Swindon, he was seen carrying a handgun in his waist band.
He was arrested a short time later at his home address, where officers found a BB gun and recovered a mobile phone used to run a local drugs line. They also discovered a quantity of Class A drugs - heroin and crack cocaine - and £5,000 in folded bank notes.
Jose Rasgado, 36, from North Finchley, London, was sentenced to 30 months after pleading guilty to possession with intent to supply crack cocaine and heroin.
Rasgado was stopped as the front seat passenger in a vehicle on Queens Drive, Swindon, on 10 October, 2019. He attempted to conceal a package of Class A drugs whilst in a police vehicle but was caught by the onboard CCTV.
Darnell Brown, 20, from Handsworth, Birmingham, was sentenced to 44 months after pleading guilty to possession with intent to supply crack cocaine and heroin.
Brown was stopped as the front seat passenger in a vehicle on Turner Street, Swindon on the 3 August, 2021. He was seen to conceal a package of drugs which was later recovered in a strip search.
The police say the arrests were the result of a proactive investigation into county lines dealing from Gloucester to Swindon.
PC Emma Rice, from the Fortitude Team, said: “I am pleased that a custodial sentence has been handed to Rasgado - this reflects the severity of his actions and the impact this could have on many vulnerable people.
“We are committed to tackling county lines and will continue to target those involved in the supply of Class A drugs within our communities.
“This was the result of a proactive investigation into county lines dealing from Birmingham to Swindon.
“These sorts of groups not only peddle illegal drugs, which cause serious misery for vulnerable addicts and users, but also bring with them the associated exploitation, anti-social behaviour and violence.”
PC Chris Hemns, also from the Fortitude Team, said: “We always encourage the public to report any suspicious activity to police and hope the sentence passed reassures our communities that robust action will be taken against those identified as responsible.”
Your Comments
Be the first to comment on this article
Login or Register to post a comment on this article