Two county lines dealers sentenced at court

[Hereford Voice]

Two county lines drug dealers who trafficked drugs into Herefordshire have been sentenced to a total of ten years.

Harnaik Mahli, 44, of Worlds End Lane, Quinton, Birmingham, and Keller Preece, 27, of Kingsway, Hereford, were found guilty at Worcester Crown Court yesterday (Tuesday 10 September).

Mahli and Preece were running a well-established county line – the name of the telephone number, or ‘deal line’, used to run the organised drug-dealing network – distributing cocaine and cannabis into Herefordshire for substantial profit.

Mahli was at the top of the chain of the group and would supply Preece who established himself as a significant member of the drug trafficking enterprise in Herefordshire.

Preece led the day to day running of the line and had others under him running drugs on his behalf.

On 10 November 2023, police acting on intelligence stopped a vehicle on Old School Lane in Hereford and found Preece in possession of approximately £14,000 cash.

A search of his home address found a large quantity of cannabis, approximately £3,500 more in cash and an extendable baton.

Phone evidence showed he was dealing cocaine and cannabis, and he was charged with being concerned in the supply of cocaine and cannabis, possession of an offensive weapon and possession of criminal property.

On 13 February this year, police were called to reports Mahli and Preece were in Hereford using weapons and threats to settle a drugs debt. Preece and Mahli were stopped nearby in a vehicle on Blue School Street.

A wooden bat was found in the passenger seat of the vehicle, Preece was hostile with officers and tried to run off, pushing over a police officer, before being restrained and arrested.

Following this incident, charges were secured on both men for being concerned in the supply of cocaine and cannabis.  

Yesterday, Preece was found guilty of being concerned in the supply of class A drugs – cocaine for which he was given four years in prison and being concerned in the supply of class B drugs – cannabis, for which he was given an 18-month sentence to run concurrently.

He was further convicted of possessing an offensive weapon, causing criminal damage to property and assault emergency worker and given a one month, 18-month and one month term for each of those respective offences, all to run concurrently, giving him a total term of five years and six months.

Mahli was handed a sentence of three years and four months for being concerned in the supply of class A drugs – cocaine and 18 months to run concurrently for being concerned in the supply of class B drugs – cannabis, giving him a total sentence of four years and ten months after days he was tagged were taken into account.

Detective Constable Lia Williams, of Hereford CID, said: “We are pleased with the outcome of yesterday’s court hearing which has removed another county line from the streets of Herefordshire.

“Mahli and Preece were running the Mahli line which was responsible for trafficking class A and B drugs into the county and imposing a grip of fear over local users, so their conviction has removed another risk to the public.”