Wigan borough drug peddler sentenced to just over three years in prison

In January 2023, Greater Manchester Police’s Serious and Organised Crime Group County Lines Unit commenced an investigation into the supply of class A drugs, which was a known drugs line operating in the Leigh area selling crack cocaine and heroin involving Lewis Grady.

In a separate unrelated incident on April 7 police received a call reporting drug dealing occurring on Orchard Lane in Leigh.

Officers attended the scene and located a man approaching a group of people on his bicycle, which was Grady.

He was stopped and spoken to and then stop searched under the Misuse of Drugs Act. During the stop search, a large quantity of white and brown powder along with cannabis was found on his person individually wrapped along with a large quantity of cash and was arrested on suspicion of possession with intent to supply class A drugs.

He was later interviewed about the matter and provided a ‘no comment’ interview.

Following the arrest, a house search was carried out at his home address during which more drugs and cash were found along with drug paraphernalia.

Grady was released under investigation pending forensic and phone inquiries.

In October warrants were conducted at addresses associated to Grady by the Force County Lines Team.

Despite Grady not being present, a search of the addresses identified several of his personal belongings, including a passport and further class A drugs - crack cocaine and cash to the value of £6,318.

GMP continued to seek Grady and on Monday December 4, he handed himself into police at Ashton-under-Lyne Police Station, where he was interviewed and later remanded into custody.

The 22-year-old of Samuel Street, Atherton, was sentenced to three years and nine months at Bolton Crown Court on Friday (February 9) after pleading guilty to three counts of possession with intent to supply cocaine, heroin and cannabis and two counts of being concerned in the supply of cocaine and heroin.

A spokesperson for GMP’s Force County Lines Team said: “Thanks to our team’s diligent work we have secured a lengthy sentence for a key player in a drugs line harming members of the community and he will now be spending a considerable amount of time behind bars.

"From phone downloads, Grady sent footage to his girlfriend explaining that he couldn’t come home as he was too busy working long hours ‘bagging up’ drugs with other younger members of the drugs line.

“Drugs supply and organised crime has been blighting the community of Wigan and its surrounding areas for quite some time now and we’re continuing to be relentless in tackling serious and organised crime.”

A county line is the advertisement of illegal drugs via a mobile phone, known as a ‘graft line’, the drugs are then moved by dealers from one area to another as well as to other places across the country.

The organised crime groups will often exploit children to transport the drugs and money profited from its supply.

The exploitation often includes using the homes of vulnerable adults as a base to store and deal the drugs from – a term known as cuckooing.

If you have information relating to organised crime – no matter how small – contact either Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111 or call GMP on 101.