Colchester: Drug line leader exploited teenage boy

A drug dealer who exploited a teenage boy to sell heroin and crack cocaine on the streets of Colchester has been jailed after he was caught red-handed by our officers.

Upon his arrest, Tommy Minton, 20, was found to be carrying drugs, cash and the mobile phone used to run the ‘Cody’ drug line.

Specialist drugs officers with our Operation Raptor team had long been building intelligence against the ‘Cody’ line, which was run by Minton and operated between January and October 2023.

Appearing for sentence on Thursday 23 May, Ipswich Crown Court was told he ran a “particularly well-oiled and planned operation”.

In October 2023, officers were conducting a missing person enquiry relating to a vulnerable teenage boy when they received information he may be staying at a hotel in Colchester.

He was found in a room at the address alongside an amount of suspected heroin and crack cocaine and cash.

The boy was taken into custody and safeguarding measures were put in place.

Just hours later, officers were called back to the hotel to reports Minton was trying to access the same room.

He was stopped and caught carrying cash, wraps of Class A drugs, weighing scales and the ‘Cody’ drug line phone.

Our investigation established Minton had been using the teenage boy to do the risky and often dangerous work of running drugs to customers.

We further uncovered marketing messages advertising the sale of Class A drugs from telephones linked to Minton.

Minton was charged with and admitted being concerned in the supply of heroin and crack cocaine, possession with intent to supply heroin and crack cocaine and a Modern Slavery offence.

He was sentenced to six years and nine months imprisonment.

County Lines gangs make money by exploiting vulnerable people, including children, to do their dirty work.

Essex Police has seen success in tackling of this issue, largely through the embedding of specialist safeguarding officers within our Operation Raptor team.

They work, alongside non-policing partners, to identify and protect those at risk of exploitation.

The force is also one of the first nationally to utilise legislation to combat issues such as modern slavery and human trafficking.

'Drug lines trade in exploitation'

Detective Constable Andrew Kirkpatrick, officer in the case, said:

“As is so often the case, drug dealers looking to sell these extremely harmful substances turn to those they can readily exploit.
“We will see it through cuckooing – a practice where these dealers will arrange for a drug user’s home to be used as a base of operations or even take it over completely.
“We also see such examples as Minton’s case, where children are brought on board – often with false promises of wealth or status – and instructed to carry or run drugs and cash.
“The most vulnerable take the risk, with none of the reward, and that is a very sad reality of Class A drug dealing across the UK.
“We worked hard to ensure this exploitation, which falls under the Modern Slavery Act, formed part of the case against Minton.
“He was left with no choice but to admit to his shameful actions due to the extensive evidence gathered against him.”

Are you worried that a friend or someone you know may be being exploited through County Lines or organised criminal activity?

Maybe they are returning home late, staying out all night or even going missing for days or weeks at a time.

Are they suddenly being secretive about who they are talking to or where they are going?

Or perhaps you’ve noticed they have large amounts of money on them, or new clothing, jewellery or phones they wouldn’t be able to afford.

Through Fearless, young people can pass on information 100% anonymously to get help.

If you need help from police, call 101 or, if it's an emergency, always call 999.

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