Liverpool drug dealer Zach Graham, 32, was arrested by armed police after a helicopter chase in Milton Keynes. He was later jailed for five years and seven months for drug offences.
Arrest after police pursuit
Graham, of Chatsworth Drive in Edge Hill, and fellow dealer Lee Edwards, 29, of Northampton, were caught following an incident in May this year. Thames Valley Police officers were alerted to a black Audi believed to be involved in the supply of class A drugs in Milton Keynes at around 11.45am on May 15.
A pursuit followed, with officers supported by a dog unit and a helicopter from the National Police Air Service. Footage from the helicopter showed the Audi weaving around undercover police vehicles attempting to block its path.
Attempted escape thwarted
As the car approached a roundabout, Graham, wearing an orange jacket, and Edwards flung open the doors and tried to escape on foot. Their efforts were thwarted by police officers who cornered them on a new-build housing estate. The footage showed Graham lying on the ground with an armed officer standing over him.
During a search of the area, officers recovered a mobile phone linked to the "Scouse Kyle" drugs line, as well as crack cocaine and heroin with an estimated street value of £4,890.
Further drugs recovered
Further enquiries led officers to an address in Wootton, Milton Keynes, where a search uncovered more crack cocaine and heroin with an estimated street value of £24,850. A woman arrested as part of the probe remains under investigation.
The two men admitted drug supply offences and were sentenced last week at Aylesbury Crown Court. Graham, who admitted possession with intent to supply crack cocaine and heroin, as well as possession of criminal property, was jailed for five years and seven months. Edwards pleaded guilty to the drug supply offences and was handed three years and eight months in prison.
Police comment
Investigating officer Detective Constable Steve King said: "Graham and Edwards were involved in the supply of crack cocaine and heroin in Milton Keynes, targeting some of the most vulnerable members of our communities."
"When officers attempted to stop their vehicle, they tried to evade police before being detained. The quantity of class A drugs recovered during this investigation had an estimated street value of around £30,000 and would have caused significant harm had they reached our streets."
Previous convictions
Graham's involvement in a county lines drugs ring has previously been reported. He has dozens of previous convictions and was convicted of playing a "leading role" in a drug trafficking ring operating between Liverpool and Buckinghamshire in 2019. Heroin and cocaine worth around £17,400 was seized, and Graham had been marketing the drugs on a graft phone, signing off messages with the nickname "Scouse". He was sentenced to six years in prison and released on licence.
He was then arrested as part of another county lines ring operating in Milton Keynes just weeks after that release in November 2021. He was found in a car with 124 wraps of heroin and a quantity of cocaine, as well as a "graft" phone. He was locked up for five years and eight months.
