Drugs sentences welcomed
Two men jailed for trying to deal heroin and crack cocaine, were causing "considerable harm" to the community, police have said.
Gurpreet Singh and Mohammed Tayyab were arrested last year after police intercepted a planned drugs deal in Arleston in Wellington.
The pair admitted two charges of possession of class A drugs with intent to supply, with Singh, 34, of All Saints Road, Wolverhampton, admitting a dangerous driving charge for striking the police car.
On Monday they were sentenced for a total of 12 and a half years, after previously pleading guilty to the charges at Shrewsbury Crown Court.
Singh, 34, of All Saints Road in Wolverhampton, was sentenced to 40 months for possession with intent to supply heroin, 40 months for possession with intent to supply crack cocaine and six months for dangerous driving.
Mohammed Tayyab, 24, of Membury Road in Birmingham, was sentenced to 40 months for possession with intent to supply heroin and 40 months for possession with intent to supply crack cocaine.
Both men will serve their sentences concurrently.
Telford's detective chief inspector Billy Scott said: "These are significant sentences for two men whose activities were causing considerable harm to our communities and I hope it sends a warning to those involved in county lines that if they are coming in to Telford we will take action. We know who they are and we are targeting them."
The sentences come as West Mercia Police continue to tackle serious and organised crime as part of its Protect campaign.
DCI Scott added: "There's no place for serious and organised crime in Telford and we have team's actively targeting those we believe to be involved. We will relentlessly pursue them and disrupt and dismantle their criminal network to make our town a safer place for our communities."
During a sentencing hearing on Monday Shrewsbury Crown Court was told that on July 25 last year at 11.20am, officers were alerted to drug dealing activity in Arleston, Wellington.
They attended the area in an unmarked police car, and saw a silver Saab vehicle, and at one point a known drug user was seen the approach the car.
Police activated their lights and the Saab stopped in a car park in Kingsland.
An officer got out of the car to approach the Saab and as he did the engine began to rev.
He got back in his car and jumped across to the driver side, when the Saab struck the door and bent it backwards at the point the officer was previously standing.
Officers drove after the car, when it continued into a dead end and the occupants, Singh and Tayyab.
Drugs and mobile phones were thrown by the pair, and police eventually stopped them.
In total, £1,000 worth of crack cocaine was recovered, along £1,700 worth of heroin. £600 in cash was found on Tayyab.
Analysis of mobile phones was found to contain messages requesting drug deals.
