A "greedy" drug dealer "with no shame" has been jailed for 15 years after he was found with £200,000 worth of drugs in his home, as well as £33,000 in cash.
Police first became aware of Richard Southward, 41, when he was spotted sitting by his car at a bus stop.
A man joined him and they drove to a side street where they both got out, the Manchester Evening News reported.
Officers stopped Southward of Ashton-Under-Lyne, Manchester, but the other man ran off Minshull Street Crown Court heard.
After the car was searched, cannabis, £420 cash and tablets, were found.
Following a further search of Southward in custody, cocaine worth £640 fell from his trousers.
In a further investigation by Greater Manchester Police, known as Operation Goma, Southward was found to be an operator of a drugs phone line.
It was said that drug users would call up the ‘graft phone’ which was usually answered by Southward, who would then inform the street dealers on where to go and what to deliver.
One of the street dealers was said to be just 17-years-old.
Stephen Avery, 36, was also said to have answered the drug line.
In November 2020, officers from GMP's Tameside Challenger Team executed a drugs warrant at three addresses in Ashton-under-Lyne and an address in Dukinfield that were either owned or rented by the two men.
Over £200,000 worth of class A and B drugs were recovered from the property in Dukinfield which Southward's was using to store drugs.
In total, £76,000 worth of heroin; £63,000 of crack cocaine; £57,000 worth of cocaine and £25,000 worth of amphetamine were recovered.
The main supply of drugs was said to be hidden under floorboards.
Officers also discovered a menagerie of weapons including a meat cleaver, a baton, a knuckle duster and body armour.
Southward, of Hurst Grove, pleaded guilty to two counts of possession with intent to supply class A drugs, one count of possession with intent supply Class B drugs, two counts of being concerned in the supply of Class A drugs and one count of being concerned in the supply of class B drugs.
Avery, also of Hurst Grove, has pleaded guilty to two counts of being concerned in the supply of Class A drugs and one count of being concerned in the supply of class B drugs.
He is due for sentencing at a later date.
Prosecutor David James said Southward had employed others to sell for him.
“There had also been discussions about smuggling drugs into the prison environment,” he said.
“One user said he spent £100 per day with the defendant.”
Regarding the offences in Greater Manchester, the prosecutor said: “Southward appeared to generally run that drugs line, directing others on where they should be delivering to."
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