"Zombie" line flooded South Yorkshire streets with estimated £396k of Class A drugs in space of four months

Caleb Goulding and Salem Galab, both aged 28, both participated in different roles within the “zombie” drug line over an offending period spanning just under four months.

Jailing each of the men for six years and two months, Judge Megan Rhys told them: “This was a conspiracy between a group of people for cocaine and heroin to be supplied on the streets of Barnsley.

“There was effectively a shift pattern…to ensure there was a regular supply.”

Judge Rhys sentenced both men on the basis they held “significant” roles within the conspiracy.

A Sheffield Crown Court hearing held on June 13, 2025, heard how, during the course of the four month offending period, the “zombie” line sent out approximately 17,000 messages to 836 users, as part of 212 “bulk” broadcast messages.

During the offending period, running between August 1, 2024 and November 29, 2024, the line had an average of 655 events per day, and was most active between the hours of 6pm and 5am.

Goulding travelled over from Sheffield to run the “zombie” line in Barnsley between the hours of 6pm and midnight on a total of 20 separate occasions, prosecutor Daniel Lee told the court.

Others - including Galab, of Wensley Close, Grimesthorpe, Sheffield - on occasion would then take over the line during the early hours.

Galab admitted participating in the drugs conspiracy, but with a basis of plea that stated he had the role of driver, did not deal drugs or handle cash exchanged for them.

Galab, along with a second male, was determined to be in possession of the “zombie” line phone on a total of 39 days between October 9, 2024 and December 12, 2024.

Judge Rhys said: “Mr Galab, you were the driver of a car provided to you by others in the organisation. You were directed where to go. You were paid in cocaine and a small amount of drugs.”

“Mr Goulding, your basis of plea states that during the offending period, you were in possession of the zombie line phone on occasion.”

Mr Lee said the mobile phone used for the “zombie” line was frequently wiped, meaning it had not been possible to calculate the exact amount of heroin and crack cocaine sold through the line during the relevant time.

He added, however, that it had been possible to make a “conservative” estimate of the amount of crack cocaine as being 1,735 grams, along with 2,169 grams of heroin.

An estimate of the total value of the drugs generated through the line during the four months as being between £286,000 and £396,000.

Mr Lee said an algorithm, calculating the number of users in regular contact with the line and using Home Office research to work on the basis that the average user would purchase 0.9 grams of Class A drugs per day, was used to generate the estimates.

Mr Lee told Judge Rhys that while she should treat the estimates with some caution, they provided an idea of the scale of the operation.

The defendants’ involvement in the “zombie” line was uncovered after Goulding was seen topping up the mobile phone used for the line, during an occasion when he was being driven around by Galab.

Mr Lee said Goulding was subsequently stopped while driving on Sheffield Road, Barnsley on December 2, 2024, when he was found to be in possession of the “zombie” line phone, along with 61 wraps of crack cocaine and five wraps of heroin, which were discovered during the course of a strip search.

Police subsequently attended at a property located at Widdop Croft in the Richmond area of Sheffield, after Goulding provided it as his home address, and they found a male attempting to throw drugs out of a window.

Class A drugs, with an estimated value of £63,000, were subsequently retrieved from the property.

The two defendants both pleaded guilty to charges of conspiracy to supply the Class A drugs crack cocaine and heroin at earlier hearings.

Goulding also admitted a further charge of possession with intent to supply cocaine, while Galab pleaded guilty to an additional offence of driving whilst disqualified.

Mr Lee told the court that Galab has a limited criminal record, consisting of driving matters and a failure to appear at court, while Goulding has not been convicted of any other offences.

Defending Galab, Rebecca Stevens told the court that her client committed the offences in the wake of his father’s death last year, following which he began taking cocaine.

She suggested he did not receive a large financial benefit, or live an extravagant lifestyle, as a result of his involvement in the conspiracy, and fell into it through "naivety".

Ms Stevens argued that Galab had a “lesser” role in the zombie line, but this was rejected by Judge Rhys.

“You knew full well what was going on…you would have been fully aware of the size and scale of the operation,” Judge Rhys told Galab.

Continuing in her mitigation, Ms Stevens said Galab had previously acted as a carer for his mother, assisting her on a daily basis with practical and emotional support.

Galab, she said, had previously held a number of jobs, and as such, is a young man “who can work, who can provide a useful role within society.”

Representing Goulding, Nicholas Hammond urged caution when using the estimates concerning the amount of drugs, and their corresponding value, generated through the “zombie” line.

Mr Hammond said Goulding is an “active” father to three children under the age of 10, and also has a terminally ill mother.

Arrangements have been made by the prison where Goulding has been on remand to see his mother, and it pains him to know he is unlikely to ever see her again as a free man, suggested Mr Hammond.

He continued by telling the court that Goulding has put the time he has spent in custody “wisely,” completing courses in health and safety and drugs awareness, and hopes to gain legitimate employment as a brick layer upon his release from custody.