16 sentenced after south-east England 'county lines' drug sting

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2019/jul/26/jailed-county-lines-drugs-south-east-england

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Sixteen people have received prison sentences for transporting and selling class A drugs as part of a “county lines” operation in south-east England.

The convictions follow a joint investigation by the Metropolitan and Kent police forces into five county lines supplying drugs in Berkshire, Hampshire, Kent, London, Surrey and Sussex.

Many in the group, which comprised 15 men and one woman, had connections to a south London gang called the 67. Eight of those convicted feature in music videos for songs with violent lyrics by the drill group of the same name.

County lines is a drug distribution system in which criminal networks funnel hard drugs from cities to towns and rural regions across the country.

The defendants were sentenced over three days at Inner London crown court. The judge, Benedict Kelleher, said: “Each time class A drug was sold under one of these conspiracies, those responsible were committing an act of harm towards the buyer and the wider public who live in those communities, who have to suffer the appalling effects of crime and degradation class A drug addiction brings.

“The evidence that is linked to the 67 gang demonstrates the entrenched connection between gang membership and drug supply.”

Kelleher told the court crack cocaine and heroin had a “devastating effect” on communities and the individuals who took them.

The police investigation first focused on phone lines, sifting through hundreds of thousands of pages of call data. With this information, they were able to identify the individuals involved.

Of the 16 convicted, 10 pleaded guilty to two counts of conspiracy to supply crack cocaine and heroin. They were also charged with one count of participating in an organised crime group, which would remain on file.

A further six pleaded not guilty to two counts of conspiracy to supply crack cocaine and heroin and one count of participating in an organised crime group, but were convicted after the trial.

Those found guilty included line holders, who managed the lines from London and directed younger members of the gang to “cuckoo” addresses in the south-east where they would conduct the sale of drugs. These properties often belonged to local drug users. This method of operation was typical of county lines, the Met said.

While there has been recent focus on children being used to transport drugs across counties, the investigation did not find any exploited young people connected to the gang. The police did, however, identify a number of vulnerable adults.

The phone lines operated by the gang each had a different name. The National Crime Agency estimates that one county lines phone can generate £800,000 a year.

Between August and November 2018, officers identified the gang were running five county lines: the Si, which ran from London into Bognor Regis in Sussex; the AJ, which operated in towns and villages on the borders of Berkshire, Hampshire and Surrey; the Pepsi line, which ran between London and Medway in Kent; the Jeezy, which ran between London and Medway; and a local line that was responsible for the sale of crack cocaine and heroin in south London.

DI Anthony Jones, from the Met’s Trident and area crime command, said: “County lines remains a national issue but, as this investigation shows, we will work closely with colleagues from other forces to share intelligence, gather evidence and dismantle drug dealing networks.

“There is a clear link between the drug supply and the violence we have seen unfold on the streets of London. By disrupting the activity of this organised crime group, we have reduced the violent activity which blighted local communities in the months prior to this investigation.”

DCI Gavin Moss, from Kent’s crime investigation department, said: ‘The sentences imposed send out an unmistakable message that there is no place for county lines drug dealing.

“These offenders were all looking to make money from people living with drug misuse and cared little about the harm they were causing to numerous communities. The length of time they will spend in prison reflects the seriousness of such offending.”

The 10 defendants who pleaded guilty were Connell Bamgboye, 25, who was jailed for six years; Christopher Thomas, 23, jailed for four-and-a-half years; Rhys Walcott-Holder, 23, jailed for four years; Shemiah Bell, 27, jailed for four years and eight months; David Mundle, 23, jailed for five years; Tife Orawusi, 20, jailed for three years and four months; Ryeene Cowan, 24, jailed for seven-and-a-half years, including five years for an additional firearms offence; Sadjo Diakite, 21, jailed for three years and four months, and Kayce Leigh, 20, and Kyle Milton, 19, who were both given two-year suspended sentences, 200 hours’ unpaid work and 15 days’ rehabilitation.

The remaining six defendants who pleaded not guilty but were convicted after trial were Mohammed Jalloh, 20, who was jailed for four and a half years; Taylor Mackey, 24, jailed for four years; Darnell Bailey-King, 21, jailed for three years and six months; Telvin Nugent, 23, jailed for four and a half years; Robert Allison, 20, jailed for four years, and Geoffrey Allen, 56, jailed for three years.