A drugs gang leader who ran two massive heroin and cocaine supply lines in Devon and Dorset has been jailed for 12 years.

Darell Daniels set up the first conspiracy within weeks of coming out of jail in June 2022, when he began organising large scale deliveries of class A drugs to Devon.

That supply line was broken up when police intercepted Exmouth-based courier Danielle Evans as she took three kilos of cocaine and one of heroin from Runcorn in Cheshire to her home town.

Danielle Evans.Danielle Evans. (Image: Gloucester News Service.)

Daniels responded by setting up an even bigger supply line with a large-scale drug supplier known as Eric, from the West Midlands. This supplier organised his own couriers who used specially adapted vehicles with ingeniously constructed hiding places.

Daniels remained at his base in Bournemouth but arranged for huge quantities to be delivered to his henchman in Plymouth. He used the encrypted app Signal to hide his activities and refused to use a bank account because it was too traceable.

The new conspiracy ran for six weeks before Eric’s courier was intercepted carrying 43 kilograms of drugs with a street value of millions.

Daniels, aged 37, of no fixed address, Bournemouth, admitted two counts of conspiracy to supply class A drugs and was jailed for 12 years by Recorder Miss Hannah Willcocks, KC at Exeter Crown Court.

Bradley Edwards, aged 24, of Silkstone Crescent, Runcorn, admitted being concerned in the supply of heroin and cocaine and was jailed for four years.

Danielle Evans, aged 36, of Pound Lane, Exmouth, admitted possession with intent to supply and was jailed for two years and eight months at an earlier hearing at Gloucester Crown Court.

Daniels has three previous convictions for drug dealing and had been released from a 128 month sentence in June 2022.

Mr Archie Manby, for Daniels, said he was pressured by members of a crime group to return to drug dealing to pay off debts incurred when he had previously been arrested and jailed.

 He said Daniels had tried to live an honest life with the help of his partner and family but it had not proved possible.