Southend: Four dealers jailed as two drug lines shut down

Work to disrupt the gangs fuelling the supply of crack cocaine and heroin in Southend has seen two county lines dismantled and more than 14 years in prison sentences passed down on their members.

During the investigation into one of these drug lines, heroin contaminated with a high-potency synthetic adulterant was uncovered.

Operation Raptor, our teams dedicated to taking down county lines gangs, built cases against the ‘William’ and ‘Dexter’ lines in 2023.

Five drug dealers associated with the lines have now been sentenced.

The 'William' drug line

The ‘William’ line operated from July 2023, supplying crack cocaine and heroin to Class A drug users in Southend.

Op Raptor established the line stretched from London, Bristol and Birmingham to bring Class A drugs to the streets of Southend.

Abdel Toure, 31, was identified as the man heading up the line.

The investigative team analysed bulk advertising messages sent out to drug users and linked Toure, along with 33-year-old Claud Osbourne and 21-year-old Telmo Cangoma, to the drug line.

Officers executed a warrant at an address in Broadway, Leigh, on the morning of 12 October 2023, finding and arresting Cangoma.

Later that morning, officers were in Baxter Avenue, Southend, when they spotted Toure and Osbourne.

Toure noticed the officers and immediately fled on foot.

During the resultant chase, Toure was seen to throw items over a garden fence.
Officers caught up with him and arrested him.

A helpful member of the public approached the officers and told them a phone had been thrown into her garden.

Despite his lack of honest employment, upon Toure’s arrest he was also found to be carrying £585 in cash.

Osbourne initially stopped for officers, but then began to flee police, running in the opposite direction to Toure.

A description of him was circulated and officers soon caught up with him in Guilford Road, detaining him.

Again, a member of the public approached officers and told them Osbourne had been witnessed throwing something into a garden nearby.

Officers searched the area and found a discarded phone which had previously been used by the ‘William’ drug line.

Osbourne was found to be carrying a packet of white powder, which was tested and confirmed to be cocaine.

Toure, Osbourne and Cangoma were charged with and later admitted being concerned in the supply of crack cocaine and heroin.

Osbourne, of Southchurch Avenue, Southend, was jailed for two years and eight months at Basildon Crown Court in March this year.

Cangoma, of Broadway, Leigh, appeared at the same court earlier this month, where he was sentenced to 20 months’ imprisonment, suspended for 18 months, with conditions attached to complete 80 hours of unpaid work and a rehabilitation activity requirement.

Toure, of no fixed address, was jailed for five years and eight months at the same court on Wednesday 23 October.

The 'Dexter' drug line

The ‘Dexter’ line was identified as supplying Class A drugs in Southend from around November 2023.

In January 2024, a runner for the line was stopped mid-drug deal and arrested.

He was found to be carrying a number of wraps of crack cocaine and heroin, with further testing confirming the heroin was contaminated with a dangerous synthetic opioid.

Op Raptor continued to build a case against those involved, establishing evidence against key members 30-year-old Darian Clarke and 26-year-old Johnathan Adebisi.

Adebisi, of no fixed address, was arrested in Chelmsford in August this year, while Clarke, of London Road, Westcliff, handed himself in at Southend police station the following month.

Both admitted being concerned in the supply of crack cocaine and heroin and appeared for sentence at Basildon Crown Court on Wednesday 23 October.

Adebisi was jailed for four years, while Clarke was jailed for three years and two months.

'Drug dealing fuels disorder in our city'

Chief Inspector Dave Browning, Southend district commander, said:

“We rely on the reports we receive from the honest and law-abiding community in Southend to tackle these drug lines and end their vile trade.
“I would thank those members of the public who assisted officers while they made key arrests in one of these cases.
“Both Toure and Osbourne thought they could flee, but were swiftly proven wrong.
“The sale of crack cocaine and heroin in Southend brings wider violence and disorder and we’re committed to stamping out the criminals fuelling this supply.
“There is a very real danger in taking drugs. One of these cases proves users can never be sure of what they are taking.
“Heroin is an inherently dangerous substance and the emergence of synthetic opioids as a national issue is only making this drug more deadly.
“Not only are we securing arrests and charges against those involved in these county lines, but we are seizing and removing harmful substances from circulation.
“These cases are just two examples of our ongoing work to disrupt county lines activity in the south of Essex.”

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.

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