WATCH: Police raid houses and taser suspects in county lines operation

More than £70,000 of Class A drugs, £35,000 in cash, and thousands of pounds of luxury goods including sports cars and designer clothing has been seized since the launch of Cheshire Police’s Operation Apollo 12 months ago.

The operation has led to dozens of arrests, resulting in 28 people being put behind bars.

Among them is Northwich resident Cody Coleman, who was sentenced to more than three and a half years for dealing cocaine.

Chief Constable Mark Roberts said: “The results over the past year demonstrate Cheshire's determination to make the county a hostile environment for criminals involved in county line drug activity and I'm incredibly proud of the work undertaken by Op Apollo so far.

 "However, the work doesn’t stop there and those involved in the distribution and sale of illegal Class A and B drugs should be warned that we are relentless in our pursuit of those who seek to commit crime in our communities.”

READ MORE: Northwich cocaine dealer jailed after being caught with knuckle duster

Op Apollo was launched in November 2022 by Cheshire Police’s Serious and Organised Crime Unit (SOCU) in a bid to crackdown on county lines operating across the county.

A year on, 87 people have been arrested and 70 county lines gangs torn down.

28 of those arrested have already been jailed for over 100 years for a variety of drug offences, with a further 40 waiting for their cases to be finalised at court - four of which have pleaded guilty and await sentencing.

Detective Inspector Robert Balfour, from the SOCU, said: ““Since the launch of Operation Apollo, we have worked tirelessly to target those who cause the most harm to our communities by dismantling county lines operating from within our borders and beyond.

 “With the continued support from within Cheshire Police, neighbouring forces and partners, we are well equipped to protect our communities and most vulnerable from the devastation brought forth by county line gangs. This coordinated approach has made a significant difference to the number of County Lines operating in Cheshire and we will continue to relentlessly target all criminals involved.

“This operation has been paramount in disrupting dangerous offenders who believed they were operating their criminality under the radar. Be assured that our work is continuing, and we will use all resources available to us to crackdown on county lines.”

Cody Coleman (Image: Cheshire Police)

Cody Coleman, 22 and of Crocus Street in Barnton, was spotted by officers acting suspiciously on March 30 of this year.

He was subsequently arrested and found in possession of cocaine, a large quantity of cash, two phones, and a knuckle duster.

Following his arrest, a search of Coleman's home address was conducted which revealed a number of weapons along with drug paraphernalia.

After pleading guilty to possession of an offensive weapon in a public place and possession with intent to sell a class A drug, Coleman was sentenced to 41 months at Chester Crown Court on September 25.

DI Balfour said at the time: “I welcome the sentence handed to Coleman and I hope that his conviction sends out a warning to other dealers planning to target the Northwich area.

“Thankfully, because of the evidence we were able to gather against Coleman, we were able to prove his involvement beyond doubt, leaving him with no option but to plead guilty to the charges against him.”