The 15-year-old was missing for nearly 3 weeks – and was found living in a crack house
Two drug dealers were sentenced to prison after trafficking a helpless youngster more than 100 miles from his home in order to sell crack and heroin.
The first members of a county lines drug gang to be found guilty of modern slavery offences by Bedfordshire Police are Jamal Andall and Alex Anderson, both of Luton. The two were given sentences of more than 13 years at Luton Crown Court today (Friday).
The victim, a 15-year-old boy, went missing from his home in Bedfordshire in February 2020. He was found nearly three weeks later in Lowestoft, Suffolk, with £3,000 worth of crack cocaine and heroin, a large amount of cash and three phones – one of which was linked to the ‘Craig’ deal line in Bedfordshire. He had been living in a nearby crack house.
Two phone numbers recorded as “?” and “??” that had been in communication with the victim more than 500 times throughout the course of his three-week disappearance were discovered when the Craig line phone was downloaded. The numbers were shown to belong to Andall, 29, and Anderson, 29, by detectives.
Additionally, they were able to demonstrate their involvement in county lines activity when police found texts indicating they were supplying and trading drugs in Lowestoft.
Andall was taken into custody for narcotics crimes in Ipswich. After his DNA was extracted, forensic evidence obtained on the substances the boy had been found with was compared.
Police also discovered messages on another phone – found in his Luton home – that outlined drug activity between him and Anderson.
Traffic cops had also stopped the couple in Hitchin when the 15-year-old victim was reported missing. Although Andall had provided police with a fictitious name, it is thought that they were returning from Lowestoft after giving the victim narcotics.
Anderson’s phone data was analysed, and it was discovered that he had visited the same locations as the Craig drug line phone.
Andall, of Stonesdale, Luton, entered a guilty plea to charges of aiding another person’s journey with the intention of exploiting them, participating in the supply of cocaine and heroin, and possessing with the intent to supply these drugs.
Anderson, of Acworth Crescent, Luton, entered a guilty plea to two counts of aiding another person’s travel with the intent to exploit them and of being involved in the supply of cocaine and heroin. Anderson was given a sentence of seven years in prison for his involvement in the heroin supply, while Allan received a sentence of six years and four months for the same offence. They were also given concurrent sentences of three years for their involvement in the cocaine supply and six years for exploitation.
Detective Constable Colin Knight, from Bedfordshire Police’s Boson guns and gangs team, said: “We were able to show Andall and Anderson were behind a county drugs line and maintained persistent contact with this teenage boy, sending him to another part of the country and exploiting him to sell drugs on their behalf.
“Drugs are a catalyst for many crime types, with organised crime groups often driving serious violence, exploitation, and anti-social behaviour in our community.
“This case shows that we are not here to criminalise young people, and we will instead go upstream to identify the exploiters.
“While this is a first for our force, we have many dedicated teams working to eradicate exploitation of all kinds and ensure drugs gangs that groom and exploit young people face justice for the crimes they commit.
“This case also highlights the link between the frequent missing episodes of young people and the exploitation they may be subject to.”
The victim is now back with his family and has moved out of Bedfordshire.
The Bedfordshire Violence and Exploitation Reduction Unit offers support to young people at risk of exploitation and their families. Visit bedsveru.org
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