A Telford man has been sentenced to five years and eight months in prison after being caught running a drug supply operation on the very day he was released from his previous jail term.
Esten Bennett, 32, of no fixed abode, appeared at Shrewsbury Crown Court on 8 April 2026. He pleaded guilty to being concerned in the supply of class A drugs, specifically crack cocaine.
The investigation by West Mercia Police revealed that Bennett established his drug dealing network on 13 January 2026, the same day he was freed from prison. The operation was active for approximately seven weeks, during which he supplied an estimated 200 grams of crack cocaine across Telford and into Wales.
Officers arrested Bennett on 4 March 2026 after spotting him entering an address near Constitutional Hill in Wellington. Police followed him from the area and stopped his vehicle at Hadley Park Services. A search of the vehicle uncovered a wrap of class A drugs, £170 in cash, and a mobile phone directly linked to his drug supply line.
This arrest occurred shortly after the force’s recent crackdown on organised crime groups. During a dedicated effort to disrupt regional drug networks between 2 March and 8 March 2026, officers across Shropshire, Herefordshire, and Worcestershire seized more than £1.5 million worth of drugs and made 73 arrests.
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