Crackdown on County Lines Yields Heavy Jail Time and Big Drug Hauls
Kent Police have smashed county line drug networks with a string of raids, arrests, and prison sentences. Authorities executed 19 search warrants, seized 32 drug consignments, and charged 33 suspects. Several dealers are now behind bars, racking up a combined total of nearly 57 years in prison.
Warrants Knocked Down Doors in Belvedere and Erith
On Monday 22 March, two key raids hit homes in Belvedere and Erith. Officers swooped in and confiscated mobile phones alongside wraps of cocaine and heroin. Two men, aged 25 and 41, were arrested for suspected drug supply. Both have been released under investigation, while enquiries continue.
Drug Stops Lead to Charges in Ashford and Canterbury
- In Ashford, a car stop on the M20 slip road near junction 10 on 26 March caught officers’ attention. Ronaldo Scott, 18, from Stockwell, London, was seized along with a 52-year-old woman. Scott faces charges for supplying heroin and crack cocaine, plus possessing a knife. He appeared at Folkestone Magistrates’ Court and is due back at Canterbury Crown Court in May. The woman was bailed pending investigation.
- Another stop in Canterbury on 12 February resulted in charges against Ta-Shan Thompson Campbell and Agata Lakatus, both 24. Each faces counts of supplying crack cocaine and heroin, and possession of criminal property. At court, Thompson-Campbell pleaded guilty, while Lakatus maintained innocence. Their case continues in June.
Dealers Face Long Jail Streets After Police Sting
Kent Police have locked up several county line drug dealers following lengthy probes.
- Leon Wilson from Maidstone was jailed for four years and three months after admitting to supplying crack cocaine and heroin via a phone line linked to Ramsgate. Police found messages arranging deals and arrested Wilson during a dawn raid. Officers seized drugs, cash, phones, and scales from his home.
- Christopher Tregunno of Sittingbourne was handed a three year, nine month sentence for multiple supply offences. Despite two arrests in 2020, he kept pushing heroin and crack for the county line dubbed ‘Trigger’ until police caught him with incriminating phone evidence.
- Demetri John-Lewis from London was convicted of running the ‘CC’ county line in Folkestone. He received a four-year jail term after a trial at Canterbury Crown Court. His arrest was part of a joint operation involving the Met Police.
Inspector Martin Williams from the County Line and Gang team said: “We are committed to dismantling the county line drug supply network in Kent. There were a number of significant arrests throughout March with substantial drug and cash seizures being made. My officers will now set their sights on those attempting to fill the void left by these dealers in an effort to disrupt the supply of class A drugs in the county further.”
