County Lines Kingpins Nabbed in London-Kent Drug Bust
Two men running ruthless county lines drug networks between London and Kent have been locked up. Oludewa Okorosobo, 25, from Camberwell, copped three years and four months at the Old Bailey for conspiracy to supply heroin, crack cocaine, and cannabis. His partner in crime, 20-year-old Seif Khalid Hashim from West Ham, was handed two years and six months earlier in October.
Harsh Criminal Behaviour Orders Hit Drug Dealers
Both toughened up with five-year Criminal Behaviour Orders (CBOs). These orders bar them from being together in public, entering Medway’s designated areas, and possessing more than two SIM cards under their names. They also can’t act in ways that scare or distress others in public groups of two or more.
Police Crack Down After High-Tech Surveillance
Detectives from the Met’s Violent Crime Taskforce stopped Okorosobo’s car in Denmark Hill on 28 February. Inside were Hashim and a third man. The trio were arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to supply Class A drugs.
Officers seized Okorosobo’s phone, which was operating a county line dubbed “Freddie” servicing London and Medway. A second phone in the car’s back seat revealed another network called “Sam”. Digital forensics uncovered hundreds of coded drug messages dating back to October 2017.
“The phones had been used to send hundreds of messages at a time, advertising drugs. Their coded language was cracked to prove their sinister operation,” said Detective Constable Ray Sekalongo.
Substantial Drug Haul & Guilty Pleas
- Police raided Okorosobo’s home, seizing heroin.
- Hashim’s address yielded six packs of heroin and cocaine worth £3,460.
- Both men pleaded guilty in Crown Court during July.
A 17-year-old arrested alongside them was found not guilty.
Police Urge Public to Help Stamp Out County Lines
“County lines poison communities with violence, child trafficking, and addiction. Locking these two away makes Kent safer,” DC Sekalongo said. “We’re working nation-wide with the NCA to make the UK hostile to these gangs.”
Anyone with information on drug crime can call police on 101 or report anonymously to Crimestoppers at 0800 555 111. Young people can also use the Fearless charity hotline for 100% anonymous crime tips.
