Herts county lines drugs dealers jailed for total of 21 years
The pair were arrested in Milton Keynes in March 2025
Last updated 12th Nov 2025
Two drug dealers who played key roles in a county lines network supplying crack cocaine and heroin across Hertfordshire and beyond have been jailed for a combined total of more than 21 years between them.
Noble Welch and Shenice Ribeiro were part of a criminal enterprise operating between January 2024 and March 2025. A judge described the scale of their operation as having a “reach and output significantly larger” than typical drug networks.
Following a detailed investigation by Hertfordshire Constabulary’s County Lines Investigation Unit, both individuals were arrested in March 2025 in Milton Keynes. Officers seized approximately £180,000 worth of Class A drugs, along with cash and multiple mobile phones.
After a three-week trial at Huntingdon Crown Court, Welch and Ribeiro were found guilty of conspiracy to supply Class A drugs (cocaine and heroin) and possession of criminal property (cash).
Welch was also convicted of possessing a mobile phone while in prison and attempting to pervert the course of justice. He made over 300 calls from prison in an effort to persuade another individual to present himself at a police station and falsely claim responsibility for the drugs seized during the arrest. The judge described this act as a “severe attempt” to interfere with justice.
Both were sentenced at Huntingdon Crown Court on Friday 7 November. Noble Welch, aged 37, of Jackman Close, Milton Keynes, was sentenced to 14 years, whilst Shenice Ribeiro, aged 36, of Helston Place, Milton Keynes, received 7 years.
Detective Sergeant Christopher Cowell, from the County Lines Investigation Unit, said:
“Welch was a major supplier of heroin and crack cocaine across the South East. During this operation, we seized nearly two kilograms of Class A drugs, preventing them from reaching communities across the UK.
“These sentences have dismantled a significant drug network and removed individuals who posed a serious threat to vulnerable people, especially young members of our communities. We continue to rely on the public to be our eyes and ears. If you have any information about drug dealing, please report it — together we can help keep Hertfordshire safe.”