Three men have been jailed for their roles in a county lines drug operation that funnelled heroin and cocaine from London to south Essex.
Serially convicted drug dealer Keian Creary described the so-called “Cash Line” as his business, using the proceeds to buy jewellery, designer clothes and tickets to concerts at the O2 arena.
He had been involved since childhood with a north London organised crime group called the Get Money Gang (GMG), which was named in another court case in 2017 as the second-most dangerous street gang in the UK.
Crear lived a “luxury lifestyle”, said prosecutor Laura Kenyon, by exploiting children into working for him. He would book hotels in Southend for his runners to stay in.
He was “particularly aggressive” with one 17-year-old runner, telling the boy he had put a bounty on his head due to a dispute over money.
When police analysed his phone, they found he had even looked up and screenshotted the boy’s home, suggesting it was not an idle threat, said Mrs Kenyon.
Meanwhile, one of Creary’s line holders was stabbed – and police later found Creary had paid money into the stabber’s account both before and after the stabbing occurred.
He was not convicted of involvement in the stabbing but the victim, Luke Dunbar, who has been convicted of his own involvement in the drugs operation, maintains he was subjected to threats and coercion.
A trial of issue will be held at a later date, where a judge will decide on the balance of probabilities whether he is telling the truth.
Creary, 33, of Arbrook Close, Orpington, bought Class A drugs by the kilogram for around £20,000 and sold them to addicts in 0.1 gram portions for £10 to £20.
He testified at trial that he would expect to shift around 350 grams in 11 days.
Basildon Crown Court heard on Tuesday (July 21) that he was convicted of running the line for 16 months.
He spent the profits hiring expensive cars and buying jewellery, spending almost £6,000 on a diamond ring and around £20,000 on designer watches.
He appeared for sentence this week alongside three other men, each convicted of being his line holders at different times – meaning they held the phone number, sent out marketing messages, took orders from addicts and arranged deliveries, managing the runners below them.
Among them was his brother-in-law Ricole Douglas-Francis, 31, of Croydon Road, Anerley, who held the line for around nine weeks between March and May 2025.
The father-of-four hid the drugs phone in one of his children’s jacket pockets in their bedroom.
He had taken over the role from Jaden Banton, 25, of Northumberland Avenue in Enfield, who held the line between December 2024 and February 2025.
The role was then taken over by Dunbar, 19, of Shenley Road, Waltham Cross, before he handed over control to Tony Dicker, 36, of Hilton Road, Canvey Island.
Dicker was also linked to the GMG gang, the court heard.
When Essex Police tried to arrest him in September 2025, as he delivered a new drugs supply to Southend, he led officers on a chase up Victoria Avenue and Queensway, jumping red lights, speeding and crossing central reservations to drive into oncoming traffic.
He was eventually arrested on Lifstan Road.
Passing sentence on Tuesday, Judge Siew Loke said Creary – who had two prior Class A drug dealing convictions – had “directed and controlled” the operation.
“There is no doubt that you were organising the line,” she said. “Text messages are littered with references to you referring to the line as your business and runners referring to you as the person in charge.”
She sentenced him to 12 years in prison.
Dicker was jailed for 46 months and Douglas-Francis to 38 months.
Each will be eligible for release on licence after they have served 40% of their sentences.
Banton, who was accepted by the authorities to have been a victim of modern slavery, was sentenced to two years in prison, suspended for 18 months.
Dunbar will have his trial of issue at a date yet to be decided, and further members of the drugs gang will be sentenced in the coming weeks and months.
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