Drill rapping drug lord from Deptford is behind bars

BY CALUM FRASER
calum@slpmedia.co.uk

A drill rapper who auditioned on the X-Factor has been jailed as the kingpin of a drugs smuggling operation.

Daniel Olaloko, 19, pictured, who grew up in Deptford, set up a sophisticated drug dealing network which operated along the “County Lines” method.

County Lines is a dealing technique where gangs move drugs along supply lines from a base in large cities like London and Manchester out to rural towns.

Olaloko, who rapped under the name Trigga T in the drill group Silwood Nation, was arrested by Cumbria police at his halls of residence in Preston where he was studying pharmacology at the University of Central Lancashire.

Drill music is defined by its dark and violent lyrical content and a fast beat with heavy bass.

It often features rappers talking about violence and can be used to fuel rivalries between gangs.

Police found wraps of heroin and crack cocaine, a sword, knives and several mobile phones when Cumbria police raided his halls in April.

The drugs operation, led by Olaloko and a partner in Manchester called Peter Adebayo, who was also convicted, ran between December 1, 2017 and April 26 this year. Olaloko and Adebayo set up a phone relay system where addicts would call a number to place an order for drugs.

Olaloko and Adebayo would receive this call in other parts of the UK, including Manchester, Preston and London.

They would then direct others in the conspiracy to deliver the drugs to customers in Barrow-in-Furness.

The brand name given to the line was Nation. On a regular basis this brand name would advertise the sale of drugs via text messages to potential customers.

Those messages would start “ON BEST OF BOTH NATION…” Police first came into contact with the operation in December 2017 when they raided a house in Barrow where drugs and cash were found.

Three people were sentenced after pleading guilty to possession with intent to supply Class-A drugs, namely crack cocaine and heroin.

Lyndon Koroma, 19, Dodson Street, Lambeth North was sentenced to five years in prison.

John Rogers, aged 21, of Hawkstone Road, Surrey Quays was sentenced to a two years and five months in prison.

Karen Mcullough, aged 40, of Rawlinson Street, Barrow, was sentenced to 10 months in prison.

They were all acting under the direction of Olaloko and Adebayo.

A breakthrough for police was the arrest in March of a vulnerable 17-year-old girl from London. She was found in a flat in Barrow.

When she was searched, officers found 53 wraps of ready-to-sell heroin and crack cocaine had been inserted inside her.

Olaloko and Adebayo were linked to her and arrested in April.

Olaloko had auditioned for the X Factor ITV talent show in 2016 but failed to make the TV auditions.

A spokesman for the South Cumbria Drug Squad said: “These men operated as a sophisticated and relentless organised crime group.

They targeted vulnerable people to facilitate their illegal activity and used fear and intimidation to operate their business.

“As is common with the County Lines activity, a mobile phone known as ‘the line’ was used to contact users to set up deals.

With extensive and good work by officers we were able to show links between the line and the offenders.

“During this operation officers not only removed drugs that were destined to be sold on the streets, but a substantial quantity of dangerous weapons were taken out of the hands of those potentially intending to use them for harm.”

At Burnley Crown Court on Friday, October 12, Olaloko was sentenced to seven years in jail.