Jail for men caught with 126 grams of heroin – Lancashire

Two men caught in possession of 126 grams of heroin and one gram of crack cocaine on-board a train in Lancashire have been jailed for a combined eight years and 10 months.

The discovery was made by British Transport Police (BTP) County Lines Taskforce officers.

Andrew Hall, 46, of Anson Street, Barrow-in-Furness, and Daniel Dodd, 41, of no fixed address, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to supply controlled drugs of Class A status at Preston Crown Court on 31 March 2021.

On Wednesday 21 April 2021, a judge sentenced them to a total of eight years and 10 months in prison. Hall received five years and six months and Dodd received three years and four months.

At 7pm on Tuesday 23 February, officers from BTP’s County Lines Taskforce boarded a train arriving from Liverpool at Lancaster station. The train was heading towards Barrow-in-Furness.

As the officers walked through the train they noticed Hall and Dodd sat in one of the carriages, and asked Dodd why he wasn’t wearing a face covering.

The two men seemed unsteady, so the officers asked them to disembark the service.

Hall was then taken to one side before unsuccessfully attempting to run away from the officers.

When Dodd was asked why Hall was trying to escape, he indicated that Hall was carrying something in his coat pocket.

Hall was subsequently searched under Section 23 of the Misuse of Drugs Act and the searching officer discovered heroin in his outer coat pocket.

Dodd was also searched under Section 23 of the Misuse of Drugs Act and a cellophane bag of heroin was found in his coat pocket too.

Both men were also in possession of more than £500 in cash and were arrested on suspicion of possession with intent to supply a substance of Class A status and conveyed to police custody.

The seized drugs comprised of 126 grams of heroin and one gram of crack cocaine. An expert estimated the approximate street value of the drugs at just shy of £6,000.

BTP Detective Inspector, Matt Davies, said: “Given the quantities of drugs and money found in the possession of Hall and Dodd by our officers, it’s clear that they were dealing these drugs for their own financial gain.

“The good proactive work of the officers on that day has resulted in two men spending a long time behind bars and a considerable volume of drugs out of circulation.

“Whether you see us or not, our uniformed and plain clothed County Lines Taskforce officers are patrolling the rail network daily to stop criminals from using it to transport drugs and illicit cash between locations.

“If you see something that doesn’t look right, report it to us by texting 61016 or calling 0800 40 50 40. In an emergency, always dial 999.”

BTP’s County Lines Taskforce – a police team dedicated to tackling organised criminals using the railway to transport drugs – was setup with Home Office funding in December 2019.

A key aim of the team is to identify and safeguard vulnerable children and adults often exploited by these organised criminals to transport drugs and cash between import and export locations, which can be hundreds of miles apart.

Andrew Hall (left) and Daniel Dodd (right).