A WIRRAL man was among three from Merseyside jailed for drug supply and modern slavery offences today (Tuesday, September 3).

Liam Maloney, 32, of Oakdale Avenue in Wallasey was jailed for four and a half years, alongside Dean Hughes, 42, of Branstree Avenue, Liverpool, who was jailed for 10 years and Owen Smith, 45, of Mainside Road, Kirkby, who was jailed for eight and a half years for conspiring to supply Class A drugs (crack cocaine and heroin) and arranging or facilitating the travel of another person for exploitation under Section 2 of the Modern Slavery Act.

Officers from Merseyside's Project Medusa, the initiative to tackle county lines drug dealing and child criminal exploitation across the country, began an investigation Hughes, Smith and Maloney in January 2024.

County lines is the name given to drug dealing where organised criminal groups (OCGs) use phone lines to move and supply drugs, usually from cities into smaller towns and rural areas.

A detailed investigation by detectives established that the three men were running a county line drugs network, known as ‘Scouse Jonno’, from Merseyside into Crewe, Cheshire and were using a vulnerable 16-year-old boy to do the risky and often dangerous work of running drugs to customers.

In February 2024, officers executed warrants for Hughes, Smith and Maloney across Liverpool and Wirral.

At their addresses, officers seized cannabis, drug paraphernalia and numerous mobile phones connecting them to the ‘Scouse Jonno’ drugs line.

All three were subsequently charged with conspiring to supply Class A drugs (crack cocaine and heroin) and arranging or facilitating the travel of another person for exploitation under Section 2 of the Modern Slavery Act.

Safeguarding measures were put in place for the young person involved and through partnership working, they continue to receive bespoke support.

Detective Inspector Peter Sloan said: "Through our investigation, we were able to prove that these three men were involved in the supply of Class A drugs and using a vulnerable child to run these drugs for them across Merseyside and Cheshire.

"I hope their significant sentences of 22 and a half years combined acts as a warning to those who exploit children to deal drugs in Merseyside and further afield that they will not go unpunished.

"We would continue to urge members of our communities to come forward with information so we can make our communities safer for the decent, law-abiding people who live in areas affected by county lines and serious organised crime.

"If you have any concerns about drug dealing, or you think someone could be at risk of exploitation, please come forward, either directly or anonymously via Crimestoppers and we will investigate."