Two men have today (April 3) been jailed at Carlisle Crown Court for the supply of crack cocaine and heroin in Carlisle.
Operation Jason was launched in November 2024 after Cumbria Police received information about the supply of drugs in Carlisle orchestrated by a man from London.
During this investigation detectives identified a mobile phone number that was being used to offer crack cocaine and heroin to local drug users. The user of the phone was calling themselves ‘Benny’. This number was sending out text messages on a daily basis to local drug users and was operating in the west of the city.
Operation Jason led to the sentencing of:
- Rashurn Hawthorne, 30, of Chasemore Close, Mitcham, London was sentenced to four years and four months.
- Ashley Hull, 21, of Crummock Street, Carlisle was sentenced to two year months and five months for conspiracy to supply crack cocaine and conspiracy to supply heroin which he pleaded guilty to at an earlier hearing
During the ‘Benny’ lines operation which began in early November it sent out 23 text bombs offering the sale of drugs.
The line was found to have been in Carlisle and at various locations in London including the area of Hawthorne’s address.
CCTV enquiries identified that Hawthorne arrived at Carlisle Train Station from London at the same time as the ‘Benny’ mobile line became active in the city.
This number was found in frequent contact with Hull after sending text bombs. The content of these messages included Hull suggesting ‘calling off the day’s drug dealing’ saying it was ‘risky’ and that he was going to be caught by the police. However, he continued to meet drug users to supply them with crack cocaine and heroin.
On 26th November 2024, detectives sighted Hull on a bike in the Denton Holme area of Carlisle carrying out what appeared to be exchanges with drug users. He was detained, searched and arrested. Officers located £50, a mobile phone and two snap bags –containing eight ‘street deals’ of crack cocaine and five ‘street deals’ of heroin.
Later that day officers saw Hawthorne leaving an address in Canal Court in Carlisle and again later in a car driven by a local drug user. Officers stopped the vehicle and Hawthorne was arrested for drug supply, during his arrest officers located a phone that was later confirmed as having been used to operate the ‘Benny’ drugs line.
Subsequently officers carried out a search of a flat on Canal Court, there they found receipts for products associated with the preparation of crack cocaine. CCTV enquiries identified Hull as having purchased these. A safe was also located in the property which officers gained access to. Inside were 692 prepared street deals of crack cocaine and heroin, along with a £1,130 cash. Hawthorne’s fingerprints were found on these drugs.
Detective Constable Tim Prangnell of the Cumberland Serious and Organised Crime Unit said: “This case highlights that despite being 300 miles from London, Carlisle continues to remain a location of interest to organised criminal gangs from the capital, who seek to exploit some of the most vulnerable people in our communities; those with addictions to crack cocaine and heroin.
“To be successful these gang members need the assistance of local people, in this case that was Ashley Hull, who was willing to undertake the street dealing of these damaging drugs.”
Detective Inspector Lee Brumpton from Cumberland CID said: “We have been able to take positive action against these criminals, thanks to the support of people in the very communities that were being targeted.
“We continue to actively target county line drug dealing to protect our communities and vulnerable people from those that seek to target them.
“We continue to urge the public to report any suspicious or drug dealing activity in their area, that one piece of intelligence could be the key to taking drug dealers off the streets of our county.”