Drug Dealer Caught and Sent Down After County Lines Sting in Kent
Police Nab Sithole Over Hire Car Linked to County Lines
Blessed Sithole, 29, from Gore Mews, was arrested after police spotted a hire car tied to a drug dealing network in Canterbury back in April 2022. Officers zeroed in on a blue BMW used by county lines dealers who advertised their poisons under the alias ‘Taylor’.
Further investigations linked Sithole directly to the car. A warrant was executed at his home on 26 April and he was picked up elsewhere in the city the same day.
Evidence Seized and Sithole Busted Again on Bail
Police seized a large haul of cash along with two mobile phones. Messages uncovered on the devices revealed deals pitching the “best of both” – a slang term for heroin and crack cocaine. Despite being on bail, Sithole tried to stay in the game, securing a new hire car and phone to facilitate fresh drug runs. He was arrested again in June.
Three Years Inside and Growing Crackdown on County Lines
After admitting to being involved in supplying class A drugs, Sithole copped a three-year jail sentence at Canterbury Crown Court on 2 November 2022.
The sentence forms part of a wider crackdown. In October alone, the County Lines and Gangs Team locked up offenders for a combined total of 34 years. They made 42 arrests, secured 54 charges, confiscated over £15,000 in suspected criminal cash, and seized 32 weapons.
Detective Chief Inspector Matthew Talboys said: “This proactive investigation shows how my officers seek out and arrest those who try to sell class A drugs on the streets of Kent.”
“The number of arrests made, charges brought and sentences secured in October, including during County Lines Intensification Week, shows our relentless work to shut down networks targeting vulnerable people in the county.”
For those wanting to help tackle county lines drug dealing, more information is available here.
