Drug Gang Members Jailed for ‘Flooding’ Scarborough with Narcotics

Individuals belonging to a county lines criminal group, who “flooded” a North Yorkshire coastal town with illicit substances, have been imprisoned. The Birmingham-based dealers, operating under the moniker “Ghost”, orchestrated the supply of heroin and crack cocaine to Scarborough from August 2017 to January 2018, as reported by North Yorkshire Police. On Tuesday at York Crown Court, Christina Xiourroupas, 35, Javough Ennis, 27, and Neil Gordon, 22, each received custodial sentences. Detective Constable Darrel Temple, representing the force, stated that it had taken approximately “six years to secure justice against the offenders”. In the early hours of 16 January 2018, police intercepted a vehicle in Scarborough containing gang members, and officers subsequently discovered traces of heroin and crack cocaine. Investigators determined that Gordon, who resided in Scarborough, was collaborating with the other individuals to distribute drugs to users within the coastal community. Analysis of mobile phones and additional evidence revealed that the group utilized multiple ‘deal lines’ for drug sales across North Yorkshire. All members were subsequently charged with drug offences in January 2023. Detective Constable Temple commented: “The group thought they could operate with impunity between the West Midlands and Scarborough.” He added: “This effort shows our determination to rid our community of the harms caused by drug-related crime.” Xiourroupas, whose address was Old Grange Road, Birmingham, received a three-and-a-half-year prison term for her participation. Ennis, currently held at HMP Leicester, was handed a two-year sentence for his part in the operation, while Gordon, from Eastfield, was imprisoned for two and a half years. Three additional members of the criminal group received their sentences at the same court on 17 October.