A cocaine dealer from Warrington has been jailed after choosing “the worst day possible to be out and about” during a day of intensified police action codenamed Operation Crossbow.
Ryan Sleigh, aged 34, appeared at Chester Crown Court on Tuesday, 3 March, where he was jailed for 32 months.
Sleigh, of Bibby Avenue, Fairfield, Warrington, had pleaded guilty to possession with intent to supply Class A drugs.
The court heard that on 2 February 2026, Cheshire Police launched Operation Crossbow — a collaborative policing effort aimed at disrupting criminal activity across Cheshire and its borders. The operation included officers from roads policing, armed response, motorcycles, dogs, drones, the Special Constabulary and local policing teams, all working together with the shared goal of locating wanted criminals.
At around 11 am, officers deployed in Warrington spotted a grey Volkswagen Golf in the Park Avenue area of Latchford. An unknown woman was seen leaning into the passenger-side window of the vehicle.
The officers observed what appeared to be a hand-to-hand exchange, believed to be a suspected drug deal between supplier and customer.
Following the exchange, the officers alerted other patrols to challenge the suspicious behaviour exhibited by the Golf’s occupant, identified as Ryan Sleigh.
Around 15 minutes later, officers on foot patrol stopped Sleigh as he attempted to enter a shop on the Riverside Retail Park. He was detained while they conducted a search of his vehicle.
Inside the car, officers found 25 snap bags containing white powder — later identified as cocaine — concealed within the centre console and door pockets. A further £150 in cash was also seized.
Sleigh was arrested on suspicion of possession with intent to supply Class A drugs.
A subsequent search of the 34-year-old’s home resulted in the recovery of three mobile phones, further snap bags, a set of scales, and a notepad containing the names of potential drug buyers and suppliers.
Sleigh provided no comment answers during interview and was later charged with the offences. He pleaded guilty at the first opportunity.
Detective Constable Andrew Dolan, of the Serious and Organised Crime Unit, said:“Ryan Sleigh really did choose the worst possible day to be out and about in Warrington making his deliveries, and there is no doubt that, following our intervention — and now with his prison sentence — several of his customers will be going without the products they ordered.
“Given the amount of Class A drugs we found in his car, paired with the drug paraphernalia and list of prospective customers discovered at his address, it was clear to us that Sleigh was running a high-level operation.
“With that said, he will now spend two and a half years behind bars, and I hope he uses that time to seriously reflect on his life choices.”
