Two men were arrested on suspicion of “county line” drug-related offences after police spotted a teenage boy dealing in Brighton.
The pair were among 64 people to have been arrested or detained during a crackdown on “county line” drug dealing in Brighton and Hove, with 24 suspects charged and remanded in custody.
Sussex Police said: “On Wednesday 29 September 2021, a 17-year-old boy was spotted drug dealing in Tilbury Place, in Brighton.
“After being arrested and searched, he was found to be a victim of exploitation by a drugs line known as ‘Simba’.”
Soon after, Daniel Hunter, 25, of Tilbury Place, and formerly of Upper Bedford Street, both in Brighton, was arrested in Carlton Hill, close to where the boy was caught.
Hunter had a mobile phone identified as the “Simba” drugs line, Sussex Police said.
The force said that Rajee McLean, 24, of Brighton Road, Lewes, and formerly of South Norwood Hill, Croydon, was linked to the same line and arrested in London on the same day.
Both were charged with conspiracy to supply class A drugs – crack cocaine and heroin.
Hunter pleaded guilty when he was arraigned – or formally charged – in the crown court while McLean denied the charges.
Hunter is awaiting sentence and McLean was remanded in custody to await trial.
The crackdown – a police operation called Op Extreme – targeted “county lines”, the name given to the type of set up used by a significant number of drug dealing gangs.
Sussex Police said: “County lines drug dealing is when criminals from large urban areas deal drugs in smaller areas across county borders, such as Brighton.
“Drug users contact them through specific phone numbers – known as deal lines.”
Dealers often also send out text messages to all the contacts on a deal line’s phone when they have fresh supplies or want to “push” or market their stocks.
Sussex Police added: “Of the 20 lines disrupted through Op Extreme, 15 were found to be operating from within London.”
Detectives from the Brighton and Hove Community Investigations Team worked closely with the Metropolian Police county lines operation – Op Orochi – to share intelligence and trace drug lines to their source.
Well done to the Police! Keep going, get these awful adults who exploit young people off our streets.
Pointless. When has the war on drugs ever worked. Take one off the streets, another person moves in. Decriminalise everything and support people with addiction into treatment. It’s the only way.