South London Drug Dealers Jailed Over County Lines Empire
Two drug dealers running a county line from South London to Folkestone and Tunbridge Wells have been locked up. Dequan Brown and Ricardo Cain were arrested after a Kent Police investigation into the notorious ‘Mitch and Romeo’ line in 2020.
Hefty Haul of Drugs, Cash and Weapons Found
Brown, 24, from Catford Hill, was busted at his flat in Catford. Police seized £26,000 worth of crack cocaine and heroin, £10,000 in cash, a machete, lock knife, body armour, and a converted starter pistol loaded with ammo. Cain, 23, with no fixed address, was caught at a Folkestone hotel with £1,000 of drugs and £2,000 cash.
12 Years for Brown, 3 Years for Cain
At Canterbury Crown Court on 1 April 2022, Brown was sentenced to 12 years for drug supply and firearm possession. Cain admitted involvement in supplying class A drugs and was jailed for three years. The investigation started after police intercepted drug deal messages signed off as ‘Romeo’, ‘Mitch’, or ‘Romeo and Mitch’ from October 2020.
Police Warn of Deadly Consequences
Detective Chief Inspector Matthew Talboys said: “Kent Police knows all too well the knock-on offending that goes hand in hand with county line drug dealing and we will disrupt and shut down these networks at every opportunity.
“The weapons found at the property we raided show the serious criminality we are dealing with. Weapons of this kind can only have been held to intimidate rivals and customers and could easily have led to people being seriously wounded or killed.”
“I am pleased the money, drugs and weapons we have seized are no longer in circulation and these two men are now behind bars.”
