County lines drug dealer stopped in Sussex jailed
He'll spend more than five years behind bars
A county lines drug dealer has been jailed for five years and eight months for running crack cocaine and heroin from London into Sussex.
26-year-old Charles Uluwaseyi Ogunnowo, of Crest Road in Croydon, was stopped by officers at Three Bridges railway station at just after midday on February 24th, having travelled from Brighton.
His behaviour aroused the attention of the British Transport Police officers who then spoke with him as he walked towards a London-bound train.
Bournemouth Crown Court heard how Ogunnowo then told the officers he was in possession of £850 as well as a burner-style phone, that he claimed belonged to his cousin.
He was subsequently searched under Section 23 of the Misuse of Drugs Act, and in addition to the money and phone, he was found to be in possession of cannabis.
The officers then arrested him on suspicion of being concerned in Class A drug supply, money laundering and possession of cannabis before conveying him to police custody for questioning.
An investigation into Ogunnowo’s activity was launched and text message data on the burner-style phone he was carrying on the day was analysed.
Detectives discovered more than 500 broadcast messages in the phone’s outbox offering the sale of heroin and crack cocaine to a mass recipient list.
On April 1, a judge at Bournemouth Crown Court sentenced him to 68 months imprisonment.
Detective Inspector Graham Moss said:
"It’s evident from the data found on Ogunnowo’s phone that he was operating a lucrative business peddling harmful drugs between London and Sussex using the railway.
"As a result of our intelligence-led operations and the quick investigative work in this case, he’ll now have plenty of time on his hands in jail to reconsider his criminal activity.
"County lines drug dealing affects communities nationwide, offenders prey on the most vulnerable people in society purely to line their own pockets.
"Our plain clothes and uniformed officers are out across the network every day to tackle drug supply and bring offenders to justice.
"If you’re travelling on the network and spot something that doesn’t look right, you can report it to us by discreetly texting 61016 or calling 0800 40 50 40."