Lewisham man jailed in county lines drugs bust in Salisbury

A man has been sentenced to four-and-a-half years imprisonment after pleading guilty to being concerned in the supply of heroin and crack cocaine.

Jordan Jarron Essien, 20, of Longton Avenue, Lewisham, was sentenced at Winchester Crown Court on Monday.

On March 27, police found two men from Lewisham at an address of a vulnerable drug user in Salisbury.

Essien was using the address as a base for these males to deal class A drugs to vulnerable users in the community.

One of the males located at the address was a 17-year-old boy.

Det Con Melissa Pope said: “Through our enquiries we identified that Essien had been controlling the drug line and had been ‘running’ the teenager from Lewisham. Essien was arrested on May 14 in Lewisham.

“This is common with county lines drug dealing – young and vulnerable people are often exploited by people like Essien who promise them the world and then exploit them by getting them to sell class A drugs on their behalf. The reality is very different to the life they are promised.

“By arresting Essien and getting him to court, we have been able to disrupt a drugs line and prevent illegal drugs reaching vulnerable people in Salisbury. I am pleased that he has been given a four-and-a-half year prison sentence as a result of his actions.

“We will continue to enforce, protect and prevent when it comes to county lines. Our work with partner agencies, local authorities, schools and colleges to ensure everyone is playing their part in tackling county lines continues and it is important that young people are aware of the dangers of getting involved in drugs gangs.”