October 12, 2021 1.25 pm This story is over 29 months old

Lincoln ‘drug runner’ admits heroin supply charges

He was being paid with drugs as he was a user
Daniel Sanderson, 31. | Photo: Lincolnshire Police

A ‘drugs runner’ who was arrested during a County Lines investigation led by Lincolnshire Police appeared at Lincoln Crown Court on Tuesday.

Daniel Sanderson, 31, from Lincoln, has admitted supplying heroin on three occasions after he was caught during the large scale undercover police which was codenamed ‘Operation Stabilise.’

Sanderson, who is currently remanded in prison and of no fixed address, has pleaded guilty to supplying heroin on October 20 and October 21 last year, and a third occasion on October 23, 2020.

He has also admitted a fourth charge of supplying cocaine on October 21, last year.

Lincoln Crown Court heard Sanderson had entered his guilty pleas on a basis that he was a street level ‘drugs runner.’

Leanne Summers, mitigating, told the court: “Mr Sanderson says he was acting as a drugs runner on the three days that he was involved.

Miss Summers added: “He was being paid with drugs as he was a user at the time.”

Lincolnshire Police had launched an appeal for Sanderson in August this year after he was wanted for offences of shoplifting and a recall to prison.

At the time of the appeal Lincolnshire Police said they believed Sanderson was in the Lincoln area.

Sanderson was recalled to prison after he was located by the police and admitted two offences of shop theft at Tesco and Boots.

The shop thefts also put Sanderson in breach of a six month suspended jail sentence.

Recorder Jennifer Jones adjourned the case until November 4, when Sanderson will be sentenced if his role as a drugs runner is accepted by the prosecution.

Operation Stabilise targeted suspected networks where illegal drugs are transported from one area to another.

The ten-month investigation was led by Lincolnshire Police and included officers from Lancashire Police, Nottinghamshire Police, and the East Midlands Special Operations Unit and culminated with 38 search warrants.

A number of other defendants are due to appear in court.