Man jailed for his involvement in Class A drugs supply on the Isle of Wight

A man involved in a drugs supply operation between Surrey and the Isle of Wight has been jailed for more than five years.

Officers from Hampshire Constabulary investigated 38-year-old Kieran Rainford’s involvement in the supply of heroin and cocaine from 19 November 2019 up to 15 February 2021, when Rainford was arrested in the Fareham area.

Shortly after his arrest, he was charged with two counts of being concerned in the supply of Class A drugs.

Rainford, of Cressall Close in Leatherhead, Surrey, initially denied the offences, but admitted these at Southampton Crown Court on Wednesday 24 November 2021.

Phone data obtained by the police investigation revealed Rainford was in charge of five phones which he used to send out marketing messages to drug users on the Island, in addition to his own personal phone.

Following a lengthy investigation and careful analysis of phone data, officers were able to link Rainford to the ‘Mikey’ County Lines drug network.

Appearing at Newport Crown Court today (14 January 2022), Recorder Paul Garlick QC jailed Rainford for five and a half years. Rainford was also ordered to pay a £181 victim surcharge.

Detective Constable Rob Harnett, who investigated the case, said: “Investigations of this nature are always lengthy and complex, but we were able to identify that drug users on the Isle of Wight were receiving regular contact from a dealer known only as ‘Mikey’.

“The evidence we obtained during the course of our investigation linked Rainford to the Mikey line, and showed he would use as many as five different mobile phone sim cards to try and stay under the radar.

“I am pleased this case has now concluded and Rainford is behind bars for these crimes.”

Tackling County Lines drug supply and the associated harm is a priority for us. We encourage anyone who has information about the supply of drugs in their area to report this to police so we can develop a strong intelligence picture and take action.

You can call us on 101, or submit information via our website: https://www.hampshire.police.uk/ro/report/ocr/af/how-to-report-a-crime/

Alternatively, you can make a report 100% anonymously to the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Spotting the signs

Some common signs of drug dealing and County Lines activity to look out for include:

• An increase in visitors/cars to a house or flat
• Regularly changing residents
• When you see the occupant, they may appear anxious or distracted
• Substance misuse or drugs paraphernalia in the vicinity of a property
• Changes in young people, for example having new unaffordable things, going missing or unexplained injuries.