Two Brighton patrol cops put dealers behind bars for 64 years in just eleven months on the beat

Two Brighton beat coppers have made 139 arrests in the last 11 months, leading to drug dealers serving a total of more than 64 years.

PCs Owen West and Daniel Gray have helped seize more than 1,200 street deal bags of cocaine, 500 bags of cannabis, 400 bags of ketamine and approximately 450 wraps of crack cocaine and heroin.

They also made bulk seizures of 2kg ketamine, 1kg cocaine and 6kg of herbal cannabis.

The most recent conviction was of Armen Zhiejani, 27, of Montpelier Terrace, Brighton, who was jailed for 18 months at Lewes Crown Court on 24 March.

He was stopped by officers on patrol in Brighton in February and was found to be in possession of a Class A drugs and a search of his address uncovered a large quantity of cocaine, ketamine, MDMA, cannabis, and more than £2000 cash.

He was charged with possession with intent to supply cocaine, cannabis, MDMA and ketamine, along with possessing criminal property, for which he pleaded guilty at Brighton Magistrates court.

In another arrest, officers tackled a drug dealer on an e-bike on the Aquarium roundabout, which led to the recovery of 159 bags of cannabis and 40 bags of cocaine.

Aleksander Hyka, 25, of no fixed address was charged with possession with intent to supply cocaine and cannabis and possession of criminal property. He was found guilty and was jailed for 26 months at Lewes Crown Court.

PC West said: “It is often under-estimated how much harm drug dealing can cause to a community. Taking drugs often leads to further offences such as drug driving and violence and can lead to people becoming extremely vulnerable when out in the city at night.

“Tackling the issue at source helps prevent people becoming victims of often serious crimes.

“It is also important to recognise that often people who sell drugs are either doing this through coercion and they are being heavily exploited by organised criminals.

“I am proud of the work I and others have achieved over the last year and feel this is the right step in making Brighton a safer place for everyone.”

PC Daniel Gray said: “I would like to think that Owen and I have made Brighton a more difficult place to conduct criminal activity.

“This last year has highlighted to me that there is a great deal of hidden exploitation and harm that comes with drug supply.”

Inspector Sadie Crouch said: “We are really proud of PCs West and Gray’s achievements over the past year working in our Brighton hotspots.

“Not only have they provided a visible police presence that the public feel safer seeing, but have made those patrols in our highest harm areas really meaningful, tackling the issues that impact on the community and clamping down on those who sell drugs so brazenly across the city.

“These arrests and seizures will undoubtedly lead to further discoveries and form part of wider work to disrupt drug dealing and related offending in the city.”