County Line Drug Gang Busted for Exploiting Vulnerable Teen
A ruthless gang running the notorious ‘Blue’ county line has been slammed with jail sentences after a crackdown led by British Transport Police (BTP). Four men were convicted of exploiting a vulnerable 16-year-old boy to push heroin and crack cocaine across the South East.
Vulnerable Teen Used to Peddle Class A Drugs
Patrick Kargbo, 18, from eastbourne/" title="Eastbourne" data-wpil-keyword-link="linked">Eastbourne, and Jerome Ferusa, 20, from Northamptonshire, pleaded guilty to human trafficking and supplying Class A drugs. Kargbo was locked up for four years and nine months, while Ferusa got nearly four years behind bars. Both also face five-year Slavery and Trafficking Prevention Orders.
Brandon French, 20, of Hastings, received a two-year sentence suspended for 18 months for drug supply. Bayleigh Cameron-Green, 18, from Dudley, got an 18-month Community Order after admitting to drug supply and assaulting an emergency worker.
How Police Nabbed the Drug Runners
It all kicked off on 26 October 2020, when BTP officers spotted the scruffy 16-year-old at Eastbourne station. Missing and clearly exploited, the boy’s phone revealed he was shuttling drugs between Hastings and Eastbourne by train.
Messages from the ‘Blue’ county line blasted heroin and crack cocaine deals to hundreds, linking the gang right back to Ferusa, Kargbo, and French. Following raids in December 2020, cops found phones and SIM cards used to run the operation.
One burner phone tied the gang to a second drug line in Desborough, Nottinghamshire. Kargbo was caught again in Eastbourne with Cameron-Green, who was arrested for assaulting a police officer. More Class A drugs and phones were recovered from Kargbo’s home.
Police Strike Back Against ‘Exploitative’ Drug Network
“These convictions follow an extensive investigation involving phone data to link an exploitative gang to the Blue county line,” said BTP Detective Superintendent Gareth Williams. “They heartlessly exploited a vulnerable child to move drugs across the South of England via the railway network. We’re pleased we safeguarded the teen and brought these offenders to justice.”
“Our dedicated County Lines Taskforce is tackling younger victims of this crime, backed by experts from social and charity sectors to protect the vulnerable. Thanks to Sussex Police for their crucial help in dismantling this harmful network.”
