Drug duo sent down for over 13 years after a gun and knives were found alongside their RIZ stash

Yesterday (Thursday 23 May 2024) Evayo Campbell-Mendez (08/04/2001) and Khalil Mussington (23/09/2002) both of Galgate Close in Manchester were sentenced at Manchester Crown Court, receiving jail terms of eight years and six months and four years and eight months respectively, after pleading guilty to the offences due to overwhelming evidence.

This was following a covert investigation into the supply and dealing of Class A drugs through a dedicated county line called ‘RIZ’, where gangs and organised criminal networks are involved in exporting illegal drugs into an area using a dedicated mobile phone line to deal.

Campbell-Mendez

Mussington

Telecommunications data for the ‘graft’ line showed evidence throughout the 2023 calendar year basing itself in central Manchester as well as the Trafford district as a prepay mobile phone.

Widespread ‘flare’ messages were intercepted too, which indicate further drug dealing due to bulk messages being sent out in a small-time window to advertise the line is active for supply and demand due to sufficient stock.

Messages included ‘back about new white get on me both don’t miss’ and ‘back about get on me new white come get a tester be fast or last’.

The evidence obtained strengthened the case as over 30,000 interactions to the phone were received in a single month, including over 14,500 outgoing texts, with 6,000 being a part of bulk messaging and just under 8,000 incoming calls.

In May 2023, two simultaneous warrants and arrests were conducted in the recovery of a viable handgun, ammunition alongside an amount of Class A drugs valued at approximately £33,000 and thousands in cash along with their bank cards and driving licences to positively identify them.

Officers from our Challenger Serious & Organised Crime Group County Lines team and our Tactical Aid Unit continued their persistence by identifying Galgate Close in the Hulme area of Manchester as the dedicated base where rooms were used for the preparation and facilitation of dealing Class A drugs. Whilst the 9mm ammunition rounds were located in a sweet packet, with the black handgun being found in a black Louis Vuitton bag with three rounds in the magazine.

The gun and ammuniation seized as vital evidence.

Campbell-Mendez received a longer sentence due to the evidence showcasing he had access to a firearm as the illegal owner.

Police Constable Andy Shaw from our County Lines Team said; “The sentencing results show our determination to tackling serious and organised crime within Greater Manchester. Both Mendez and Mussington had no regard for the safety of the public by not only providing high-value drugs but also having access to dangerous weapons in the form of knives and a gun which could have caused serious injury.

“Our covert tactics are key to brining drug deal lines down and their actions has far more reaching consequences away from the sole purpose of flooding the area with illegal drugs.

“The evidence recovered both through the phone line used and at the scene was damning and we are pleased we have managed to bring two more people to justice for their actions through a prolonged process.

“I would urge members of the community to keep reporting where possible any concerns in their area as we do act on all available lines of enquiry to conduct intelligence checks with the main aim of giving honest, law-abiding citizens the chance to live without fear, violence or intimidation.”