A man who managed a Crewe-based county lines drugs gang has been jailed for over three years after Cheshire Police tracked the phone he was using to advertise the sale of heroin and crack cocaine.

Harvey Etchells appeared at Chester Crown Court on Friday 17 January after pleading guilty to being concerned in the supply of class A drugs (Heroin), possession with intent to supply class A drugs (other) and possession of an offensive weapon in a public place.

As a result, the 27-year-old, of Windermere Road, Wistaston, was sentenced for three years and seven months behind bars.

Harvey Etchells appeared at Chester Crown Court on Friday 17 January after pleading guilty to being concerned in the supply of class A drugs (Heroin), possession with intent to supply class A drugs (other) and possession of an offensive weapon in a public place (Nub News).

During his hearing, the court heard that officers from Cheshire Constabulary's Serious and Organised Crime Unit (SOCU) had identified two mobile phone numbers used by Etchells functioning as county lines to facilitate the sale of crack cocaine and heroin in the Crewe area.

The numbers used by Etchells were known as the "H" line, who advertised the sale of illegal drugs via his phone.

In this instance, officers' enquiries revealed that one of the two numbers had been offering drugs for sale to a long list of contacts on a daily basis. Further enquiries revealed that these messages were being sent within the vicinity of an address in Wistaston. 

Investigating officers suspected that Etchells was behind these messages and that he was the controller for the H line.

Further evidence cemented this suspicion, and officers executed a warrant at Etchells' home address on Windermere Road on Thursday 28 November 2024.

When officers entered the property, Etchells fled upstairs into his bathroom. He was detained and a phone was found on his person which was swiftly seized, but officers had reason to believe Etchells had attempted to flush further evidence down the toilet.

Officers then accessed a manhole in the property's garden, and upon flushing the toilet in the bathroom a mobile phone exited the downpipe into manhole. Officers rang one of the numbers believed to be associated with drug supply and the phone that Etchells had attempted to dispose of rang.

Thgeb large zombie-style knife, approximately 17.5 inches in length, found in Harvey Etchells' bedroom, which he claimed was used for gardening (Cheshire Police).

Meanwhile, back inside the house, officers located a number of items believed to be used in connection to the sale of class A drugs across the property, including:

• Several sets of scales
• Cling film/wrap
• A quantity of Cannabis
• A large bag of white power suspected to be used to further the yield of drugs

Scraps of paper with names and phone numbers on were also recovered from an outside bin at the front of address, which upon inspection, revealed 14 of the 25 numbers on the document were known to Cheshire Police systems as people linked to possession of Class A drugs.

A large zombie-style knife, approximately 17.5 inches in length, was also found in Etchells' bedroom. Later, when interviewed by officers, he claimed that he used it for gardening and that he was not aware they were illegal to possess.

Etchells was later charged with being concerned in the supply of class A drugs (Heroin), possession with intent to supply class A drugs (other) and possession of an offensive weapon in a public place.

Detective Inspector, Rob Balfour from the Serious and Organised Crime Unit, said: "Controllers of county lines groups play integral roles in the distribution of illegal substances across large areas advertising drugs for sale to perspective buyers.

"The presentation of the evidence by the team has more than shown Etchells' control of the line, how involved he was and for how long. Unlike Etchells' flushed mobile phone that was recovered by us, the work of SOCU officers has resulted in his plans to continue the selling illegal drugs going fully down the toilet.

Harvey Etchells has been sentenced for three years and seven months behind bars (Cheshire Police).

"I really welcome such a sentence being given to Etchells. It is well documented the damage these types of drugs do and Etchells was trying to profit from his criminality. People who involve themselves at this level of control deserve such a sentence.

"We work very hard to prosecute those controlling County Lines and want to protect and safeguard any individuals at risk of exploitation from these types of criminals.

"Officers are continuously acting on intelligence and carrying out regular enforcement activity on both a local and county-wide level to go after organised groups.

"I urge anyone with any information about suspected drug related activity in their community to get in touch. You will be listened to, and we will investigate the matter."

READ MORE: Man, 54, jailed after cannabis farm raided in Crewe town centre.

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