Drug dealer carried down street in just his underpants by laughing police officer
'It was like going to Tesco. There were people queueing up every day outside the address to pick drugs up.'
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Louise Thomas
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A teenage drug dealer was pictured being carried down the street in just his underpants by a laughing police man after trying to escape arrest.
Rhys Williams was slung over the shoulder of the officer when he complained of sore feet moments after his failed barefoot attempt to flee.
The 18-year-old was arrested for being part of an organised crime gang that ran a large scale drugs operation which attracted “queues like Tesco”.
![Rhys Williams, 18, was carried down the street in just his underwear by a laughing police officer after trying to escape arrest. Williams was part of an organised gang dealing drugs in Wrexham, North Wales, who were jailed for 31 years and eight months in total after admitting conspiring to supply class A drugs.](https://static.independent.co.uk/s3fs-public/thumbnails/image/2018/12/22/14/undie-arrest-dr-273461.jpg)
On Thursday, he was jailed for more than two years along with nine other members of the group who flooded Wrexham, in North Wales, with heroin and cocaine.
The gang was sentence to a total of of 31 years and eight months in prison after admitting conspiring to supply class A drugs at Mold Crown Court.
A police operation was launched after one of the dopey dealers turned up at a police station with thousands of pounds worth of heroin and crack cocaine in his car boot.
Over a four-week period covert cameras then caught the gang’s movements at a property in the Clos Owen area of the town.
A ‘county lines’ phone was used to send text messages to notify people that drugs were for sale prompting queues outside described as being like those at a supermarket.
Police estimate the operation was raking in £4,000 a day as they pedalled heroin and cocaine to dozens of drug users over a garden fence.
![Ten members of a drug dealing gang were arrested and jailed after flooding Wrexham, in North Wales, with heroin and cocaine. Pictured: Left: Rhys Williams, top L-R: Kingpin Tyrone Edwards & Kieron Gracey, second row L-R: Levi Rowlands & Lucas Hopson, third row L-R: Ben Coffin & Jessica Dunmer, bottom row L-R: Alex Williams & Corey Ducket.](https://static.independent.co.uk/s3fs-public/thumbnails/image/2018/12/22/14/operationloot.png)
Officers swooped at several properties to arrest several members of the group on 9 August this year.
But Williams fled by jumping out of a window while wearing just his pants before he was carried back by Sergeant Ian Evans, who had caught up with him.
Around £18,000 worth of class A drugs - £13,000 cocaine and £5,000 heroin - were seized during the operation.
Kingpin Tyrone Edwards, 24, of Tanyfron, described as the organiser, was also arrested during the raids and has now been jailed for six years and eight months.
Kieron Gracey, 23, of Borras, was jailed for three years and two months for acting as a “chauffeur” for Edwards.
![Police surveillance images of the Wrexham-based crime gang who have been jailed for a total of 31 years and eight months after admitting conspiring to supply class A drugs at Mold Crown Court.](https://static.independent.co.uk/s3fs-public/thumbnails/image/2018/12/22/14/undie-arrest-dr-273448.jpg)
Ben Coffin, 18, whose home was used as the drugs “shop”, was jailed for two years and 10 months along with Rhys Williams, 18, of Wrexham, who collected the drugs.
Levi Rowlands, 18, of Rhos, was also “deeply involved” with the gang and was also sentenced to two years and 10 months behind bars.
Lucas Hopson, 21, of Caia Park; Alex Williams, 21, of , Caia Park; Adam Roberts, 18, of Gwersyllt, and Jessica Dunmner, 23, of Gwersyllt, also received the same sentence.
Corey Ducket, 18, of Gwenfro, Caia Park, received a two-year sentence suspended for two years after the court heard he had effectively been “groomed” the gang.
Detective Inspector Mark Hughes, of North Wales Police, said after the sentencing: “It was like going to Tesco.
“There were people queueing up every day outside the address to pick drugs up.
“On the day of the road, about £18,000 worth of drugs was seized, wraps of heroin and cocaine.”
Chief Inspector Mark Williams added: “The nature of the way these drugs were being dealt was through a ‘County Line’ and we had to follow the phone around.
“We have now increased our offer of substance misuse services to people so they have a chance, an opportunity to take the right path.
“There will be individuals who are in debt to organised crime groups so it is important to ensure we don’t walk away and leave them to fend for themselves.”
SWNS
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