TWO Merseyside drug couriers have been jailed for their role in the large scale supply of heroin into Cumbria.

David Field, aged 26, of Leafield Road, Liverpool, and Stephen Hammond, aged 29, of Winston Road, Liverpool, were sentenced at Carlisle Crown Court yesterday (21st July 2016) for conspiracy to supply Class A drugs.

Field was sentenced for four years and three months and Hammond received three years and nine months for his role. The two men were arrested at their respective home addresses on the 4th June 2015 after being identified as owners of cars which travelled to Carlisle in March 2015 delivering drugs.

Their arrests were part of an investigation related to the transportation of heroin by Merseyside-based couriers to a Carlisle-based organised crime group consisting of Gary Duncanson, Aaron Fuller, David Hales In September 2015, Judge Peter Hughes QC sitting Carlisle Crown Court heard how police officers had seized the largest ever consignment of heroin within the city, valued at £250,000, before jailing Duncanson for 20 years for his part in the conspiracy.

Fuller was jailed for 10 years & Hales receiving a sentence of seven years and four imprisonment for their respective roles within the plot. Also jailed for six years at the same time was a further Merseyside-based courier, Paul Smith, who police arrested close to the M6 where he was found to be in possession of £9,000, which officers believed was part payment for consignments of drugs.

In June 2016 Steven Wong, was jailed for three years after also being identified as a drugs courier in relation to this investigation.

Detective Chief Inspector Andy Hill, Cumbria Constabulary Serious and Organised Crime Unit, said: “We hope that these sentences sends out a clear message to all those who are involved in drug supply that such activity will not be tolerated in Cumbria.

“Drug supply often leads to further crimes including violence as crime groups try to establish themselves which often ends up causing misery for local communities. Cumbria Police proactively identify and target drug dealers and crime groups working within the county and those from outside Cumbria who aim to set up their business here.

“Field and Hammond are just the latest of a long line of Merseyside based drugs couriers who are now serving time for their crimes.

“Couriers are often paid a pittance to transport drugs between Liverpool and Cumbria whilst this is taken into account at sentencing so is the classification and value of the drugs recovered.

“We will continue to prosecute all those involved in drug supply in our efforts to keep the local communities in Cumbria safe from drug-related crime.”

Anyone with information into the supply of drugs is asked to contact police on 101 or contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.