Police vehicles outside a building
A Liverpool man has been jailed for three and a half years after police seized a 'graft phone' and cash at his home as part of a Widnes drug supply investigation Bob Harvey/Wikimedia Commons

A 23-year-old dealer who blasted out hundreds of daily cocaine adverts from a dedicated 'graft' phone has been jailed for three years and six months.

Bentley Lang‑Cole, of Smithdown Road, Picton, Liverpool, was sentenced at Liverpool Crown Court on Thursday, 6 August after Widnes Proactive CID traced a mass‑text 'deal line' used to target users in the town.

Police Say Lang-Cole Misjudged 'Graft Phone' Tactics

Lang‑Cole was identified during an investigation into the supply of illegal drugs in Widnes. Officers traced a mobile number used by him to send hundreds of daily 'flare' messages advertising cocaine to users in the town.

He was arrested when officers raided his home in April this year. They seized the phone used to sell the drugs and a large quantity of cash.

Cheshire Police welcomed the sentence. A spokesperson said Lang‑Cole had thought the 'graft phone' would keep his activities hidden from officers tackling drug supply in Widnes. Police said he had 'clearly underestimated the dedication' of the team and was now 'paying the price for his actions'.

Officers said illegal drugs have an impact on local communities and stressed that the sentencing of Lang‑Cole does not mark the end of their efforts.

How the 'Graft Phone' Brought Him Down

The phone Lang‑Cole used is known in the trade as a 'graft phone' or deal line.

It is a dedicated mobile number used by organised criminal networks to manage drug sales in a local area, from advertising and taking orders to arranging supplies while trying to avoid detection.

Lang‑Cole sent hundreds of these 'flare' messages every day. A 'flare' is a mass text advertisement sent to a list of known drug users in a particular area.

Rather than contacting customers one by one, dealers can use a phone to send the same message to hundreds of contacts at once.

The dedicated number was intended to keep his activities hidden from police. Lang‑Cole believed using the phone would make it harder for officers to trace his drug dealing.

Cheshire Police identified the number during their investigation and used it to secure a search warrant for his home.

Record Treatment Outcomes Amid Ongoing Harm

The case comes as Cheshire and Merseyside report a mixed picture on the impact of drug use. While drug‑related harm continues to rise nationally, the Cheshire and Merseyside Inpatient Detoxification Consortium has reported strong results.

Some 82% of detox placements were completed successfully, compared with 47% nationally. The Consortium also helped 174 people access treatment in 2024/25, a 20% rise on the previous year.

The average wait for inpatient detox fell to 28.49 days, beating the 30‑day national target. Drug‑related death rates in the region also stabilised, despite a 10.5% rise across England. Alcohol‑specific deaths fell by 1.1% locally, against a national rise of 4.6%.

The Consortium said its results were driven by a system that gives patients a choice of detox facilities. Complex cases can be moved into specialist care quickly, while some councils have added local funding to national grants to help more people access treatment.

The region is being highlighted as a national exemplar for how inpatient detoxification services should be commissioned and delivered. Police said the work against drug supply in Widnes is ongoing and urged the public to report any suspected activity.

Anyone with information can call the 24/7 UK Contact Centre on 0800 555 111. In an emergency or if a crime is taking place, call 999 or 101.

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