A gang of men and women who preyed on children to supply drugs have been convicted.
The drug supply was controlled in and around London and Birmingham and supplied in Bournemouth.
Five of the group were found guilty on Thursday, 11 May at Bournemouth Crown Court, following a seven-week trial.
Detective Chief Inspector Dan Mitchell, from Op Orochi, said: “County lines are synonymous with violence and exploitation, making this drugs supply business model the worst kind. We are working hard, alongside key stakeholders such as Rescue and Response and Catch 22, to divert child victims of criminal exploitation, caught up in County Lines, onto a more positive pathway away from that life.”
Two of the gang were found guilty of facilitating the travel of another with a view to exploitation and conspiracy to supply Class A drugs – crack cocaine and heroin. They are:
Adam Sheikh, 24 (30.09.98) and Sarina Duggal, 28 (11.11.94) both of no fixed address.
Saad Nur, 25 (20.06.97) of Guilford Drive, Birmingham and Hafsa Khan, 23 (15.12.99) of Bath Road, West Drayton were found guilty of conspiracy to supply Class A drugs – crack cocaine and heroin.
Feliciano Mendes, 19 (16.01.04) of Redriffe Road, Stratford, E13 was found guilty of two counts of conspiracy to supply Class A drugs – crack cocaine and heroin.
Additionally, Lee Kitchener, 20 (20.12.02) of Burham Close, Penge, SE20 pleaded guilty on Wednesday, 1 February to conspiracy to supply crack cocaine/heroin and possession with intent to supply crack cocaine/heroin.
All six have been remanded to appear at Bournemouth Crown Court on Thursday, 22 June.
The investigation was carried out by officers from Op Orochi, the Met’s Specialist Crime team dedicated to tackling high harm offenders involved in county lines drugs supply. It proactively targets London-based line holders, working in partnership with importing county forces.
This investigation began on 3 July 2022 after a 16-year-old boy from Farnborough was arrested in Bournemouth for being in possession of a large quantity of crack cocaine and heroin. A mobile phone was seized from him following his arrest, and he was released under investigation, whilst support mechanisms could be put in place to safeguard him.
The investigation was then referred to the Met’s Op Orochi team due to concerns of the child being used by a county lines gang to supply drugs in Bournemouth.
Detectives carried out extensive analysis of communications data of key contacts between the offenders, mobile phone downloads including social media conversations between them. They also trawled through hours of CCTV, looking at a hotel within Bournemouth. Four offenders, Sheikh, Nur, Khan and Duggal were identified as controlling the ‘Hustle’ county drug line which had operated within Bournemouth. The 16-year-old child had been working for them.
It was later established the ‘Hustle’ line was back up and running, again supplying crack cocaine and heroin within Bournemouth.
On 21 September 2022, officers from Op Orochi deployed to the Bournemouth area to target this activity.
Whilst in Bournemouth, officers arrested Kitchener and Mendes. A large quantity of crack cocaine and heroin was recovered. Additionally, another 16-year-old missing boy from Warwickshire was located within a flat in the Boscombe area of Bournemouth.
The following day, 22 September 2022, a warrant was executed in Birmingham resulting in the arrest of the line holders. A large quantity of drugs was located within the flat, along with the handsets used to direct the ‘Hustle’ drug line. A fingerprint of Khan was later identified on some of the drug packaging.
DCI Mitchell continued by saying: “Since Orochi was incepted in November 2019, we have worked in partnership with 26 county forces to target and close county lines, bringing offenders to justice.
“This criminal gang were exploiting two children, both missing from London, to run their County Line from London to Bournemouth and in doing so, placed them at the forefront of the supply chain, exposed to the most risk, whilst they harnessed the profits. By bringing charges of modern slavery and drug supply, irrespective of the victim’s engagement, we are able to prosecute the full extent of this criminality and send a strong message to dissuade criminal gangs from using children to sell their drugs.
“The teenagers were not prosecuted and were safeguarded and instead, referred to Children’s Services from respective local authorities and the Single Competent Authority/National Referral Mechanism. Since 1 April 2022 Orochi, working closely with Rescue and Response, have conducted 20 operations, rescuing 30 children from County Lines and charged 24 individuals with modern slavery offences.”
