Dealer who was part of Bramhall county line drug ring nicknamed 'Uno' jailed
A drug dealer from Greater Manchester has been jailed for four years following an investigation into county lines drug dealing.
Onasis Mensah, 37, of Hillbrook Road, Bramhall, pleaded guilty to being concerned in the supply of Class A drugs at Manchester’s Crown Square Crown Court.
It comes after police launched a proactive investigation in September 2022 into a drugs county line, branded Uno, operating in the Beswick area of North Manchester.
Police Constable Rhiann O'Malley from Greater Manchester Police's County Lines Team said: “As a result of his conviction, we have been able to disrupt a chain of supply and remove a significant quantity of drugs off our streets and further afield."
Officers seized Mensah's mobile phone in January 2023 and began analysis to understand the extent of the operation.
Police said that unlike traditional drug lines, the Uno line didn’t send bulk messages to users - the normal way of advertising drugs and deals they have on.
This line was so well established that there were regular customers and were aware of its opening times.
Extensive phone analysis showed in just one month, over 250 individual customers contacted this drug line.
The specialist team of detectives became aware of Mensah after one of his associates was arrested in December 2022, with large quantities of crack cocaine and heroin stashed in his underwear.
His mobile phone revealed a significant volume of communication between him and the Uno line and it became clear that Mensah was directing this man to drop the drugs off with customers.
On Thursday 8 December 2022, traffic officers pulled Mensah over because of his erratic driving.
During a search of his car, police found a burner phone in the footwell which was ringing. No drugs were located in his car, but police were able to start adding to their intelligence on Mensah and building their case.
On Monday 16 January 2023, police executed two warrants at addresses linked to Mensah.
Inside the first address in North Manchester, police found digital scales, a 5kg tub of bicarbonate soda, a burner phone, and large quantities of unused cling film wraps – all of which are consistent with a drugs operation.
Five wraps of crack cocaine, machetes, and knuckle dusters were also located.
On a second search at an address in Bramhall, police found cash, cocaine and the Uno graft line device.
Cell site analysis of the phone evidenced that Mensah was in control of the line from his home on a regular basis and contacting others to secure large quantities of cocaine and heroin.
Mensah was consequently arrested.
PC O'Malley from GMP added: “We do extensive work with our partners to break the cycle of organised crime to make sure vulnerable people who are the victims of these criminal enterprises are safeguarded, and I hope this case reassures the communities of Greater Manchester that we are committed to tackling this type of criminality.
“We need the public to be our eyes and ears on the ground and to keep coming forward with information about drug dealing and exploitation in their communities. If something doesn’t look right or doesn’t feel right, then it probably isn’t.”
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