County Drug Line Busted
Ammar Hroub, 25, from London Road, St Leonards, has been handed a five-year prison sentence after being found guilty of supplying heroin and crack cocaine. Despite his denial, a jury at Lewes Crown Court convicted him unanimously on 18 December.
Undercover Police Crack Down
Police launched their investigation in summer 2023 after uncovering a county drug line running from Kent into Hastings and St Leonards. Detectives identified the operation’s phone number on a user’s device and caught Hroub topping up this number at a local shop on CCTV.
Drugs and Cash Seized in Arrest
- 71 wraps of crack cocaine
- 59 wraps of heroin
- 470 grams of loose heroin worth around £1,770
- One wrap of MDMA
- £390 in cash
All found in a search of a BMW linked to Hroub during his arrest.
Forensic Evidence Nails Hroub
Forensics matched Hroub’s DNA to drug packaging. Mobile phone analysis revealed his phone travelled alongside the drugs line phone on routes consistent with restocking. He was however cleared of possessing criminal property.
The court ordered all drugs and phones seized to be destroyed, with the cash split between Sussex Police and charity.
“This sentence reflects how seriously the courts and police treat the supply of Class A drugs and the harm they cause to local communities,” said an investigating officer.
