Five members of a county lines gang from London who were selling drugs in Bournemouth are now behind bars following a joint operation by Dorset Police and the Met.

Dwight Anderson, 19, was jailed at Croydon Crown Court on Friday 13 May. He received a one year and seven month sentence for conspiracy to supply a controlled drug of class A in Bournemouth. He also appeared in connection with unrelated matters and was jailed for a total of six years and 10 months.

On Tuesday 17 May, at Bournemouth Crown Court, three defendants were sentenced after pleading guilty at a previous hearing to offences of conspiracy to supply a controlled drug of class A.

Tirique Scott, 21, and 19-year-old Ismaiel Kallon, were sentenced to three years and six months and three years and three months respectively for two counts. Joshua Taylor, 23, was jailed for four years after pleading guilty to one count.

William Hutsch, 19, was found guilty of two counts of conspiracy to supply a controlled drug of class A following a trial at Bournemouth Crown Court. He was sentenced on Friday 11 November 2022 to four years and three months in prison.

Following joint work by Dorset Police’s Serious and Organised Crime Investigation Team and specialist officers from the Metropolitan Police, it was established that the ‘Paz’ county line was being operated from Southeast London. The line was using couriers to travel on the train to Bournemouth to sell crack cocaine and heroin locally.

The drugs line was in action from Tuesday 11 May 2021 until Wednesday 11 August 2021, with a turnover of just under £100,000 during that time.

The investigation into the line began on Wednesday 2 June 2021 after officers attended an address in Commercial Road in Bournemouth and discovered two men present, who were later identified as Scott and Anderson. Both men were arrested and found in possession of quantities of crack cocaine and heroin.

It was later established that Hutsch started the line and used Scott and Anderson to courier the drugs to Bournemouth.

While investigative work was being carried out, a further arrest was made by officers from the British Transport Police at Bournemouth train station. Kallon was arrested as he attempted to return to London and was found to be in possession of over £3,000.

Further work identified Taylor as being the holder of the line and a warrant was subsequently executed at an address in London on Wednesday 11 August 2021. A search was carried out and 168 deals of crack cocaine were located, as well as the phone that was being used by the ‘Paz’ county line.

Co-ordinated activity was carried out in Bournemouth on the same day and Scott and Kallon were arrested with 60 deals of crack cocaine and 27 deals of heroin being located.

Detective sergeant Simon Walters, of Dorset Police’s Serious and Organised Crime Investigation Team, said: “We will relentlessly pursue serious and organised criminality across policing borders to ensure Dorset is a safe county for everyone.

“Through a proactive and intelligence-based approach, which involved teaming up with the Metropolitan Police and the British Transport Police, we were able to target the ‘Paz’ county line from beginning to end.

“This was a successful disruption, and we hope it sends out the message that if you choose to sell drugs in our county, we will proactively target those supplying the chain and everyone who is used to sell the drugs locally.”