A Kirklees drug dealer who ran a drugs line called the “West Yorkshire Cartel” supplying cocaine, ketamine and cannabis has been jailed for more than six years.

Officers from Operation Phoenix, West Yorkshire Police’s county lines taskforce, began investigating after spotting a car they suspected was involved in drug dealing because it was making multiple stops and acting suspiciously.

On Monday (Mar 2), officers from the Proactive Intercept Team stopped the Audi on the A629 between Silsden and Keighley.

Officers searched the vehicle and Shane Vickers, who was inside, and recovered a mobile phone and two lighters.

As the investigation continued, officers searched an address in North Yorkshire, where they discovered a box containing 44 new lighters and a roll of labels.

West Yorkshire Police's digital forensic unit examined Vickers' phone and found evidence that bulk messages had been sent through the Snapchat account @HOOVERITUP247.

Police said the messages advertised cocaine, ketamine, cannabis and pills believed to be MDMA.

They also advertised a contact number for a drugs line called the “West Yorkshire Cartel”.

Vickers, 34, of Bradford Road, Cleckheaton, pleaded guilty to being concerned in the supply of cocaine, ketamine and cannabis.

He appeared at Leeds Crown Court on Tuesday (Aug 26), where he was sentenced to six years and ten months in prison.

Detective Inspector Helen Chapman, who heads Operation Phoenix, said: “We welcome this sentence and hope it reflects the severity of the harm this type of offending causes.

“The supply of drugs fuels crime and violence in our communities and we hope this sentence warns others who seek to profit from criminality.

“I want to reassure our communities that Operation Phoenix will continue to take a proactive approach to disrupting and dismantling county lines drug dealing.”