Five Jailed in Major London to Bognor Regis County Lines Drug Bust
Five drug dealers caught running a County Lines heroin and crack cocaine operation between London and Bognor Regis have been locked up for a combined 32 years.
Police Raid Two Addresses, Seize £78,000 Worth of Class A Drugs
On 28 August 2020, Met Police and Sussex Police smashed the operation with raids in Ilford, East London, and Bognor Regis. At the Ilford flat in Pittman Gardens, officers arrested Liban Abdulle, Abubaker Sahal, and Igors Gogu. They recovered around 700 grams of heroin and crack cocaine worth a whopping £66,000.
Crucially, police seized the “deal line phone” controlling the ‘Henry’ drug line distributing Class A drugs across West Sussex.
Down in Bognor Regis, Holly Gittings and Adam Braggs were busted at Berrymill Close with over 1,000 wraps of Class A drugs valued at about £12,000 hidden inside a specialist safe.
Major Drug Haul Car Used to Ferry Narcotics from London
Police also seized a car owned by Igors Gogu, which was used to transport drugs from Ilford to Bognor Regis, underlining the scale of the smuggling operation.
Sentencing: Long Jail Terms for County Lines Gang
- Liban Abdulle, 30, caught while on licence, was sentenced to 7½ years.
- Abubaker Sahal, 30, got 8½ years.
- Holly Gittings, 23, was handed 6½ years.
- Igors Gogu, 37, received 6½ years after being found guilty in trial.
- Adam Braggs, 33, got just under 3 years (35 months).
All but Gogu pleaded guilty ahead of sentencing at Lewes Crown Court on 27 August. Gogu was convicted after a two-day trial at Guildford Crown Court.
Judge Stephen Mooney condemned the pair running the operation from London, saying: “Class A drugs wreck lives and communities and have a corrosive effect on society.”
Police Praise Cross-Force Success, Call for Public Help
Detective Inspector Alan Pack said: “This was another successful operation with the Metropolitan Police Operation Orichi team, working hard to disrupt dealers bringing lethal drugs from London to vulnerable people in West Sussex.”
If you have any information about drug dealing, contact police online or call 101.
Support is available from Safe Space Sussex, which links to local organisations helping those affected by drug misuse.
