Drug dealers trafficked vulnerable 15 year old to crack house

Two drug dealers who trafficked a vulnerable teenage boy more than 100 miles from his home to sell crack and heroin have been jailed.

Jamal Andall and Alex Anderson are the first members of a county lines drug gang to be convicted of modern slavery offences by Bedfordshire Police.

The pair were sentenced to more than 13 years combined at Luton Crown Court on Friday (February 23).

County lines typically involve gangs selling drugs in other towns using a dedicated phone line.

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.

A download of the Craig line phone revealed two phone numbers saved as '?' and '??', which had been in contact with the victim more 500 times over the three-week period he had been missing.

Detectives were able to prove the numbers belonged to Andall, 29, and Anderson, 29.

They were also able to prove they were involved in county lines activity, with officers identifying text messages suggesting they were offering and selling drugs in Lowestoft. 

Andall was arrested in Ipswich for drugs supply offences and his DNA was taken which was later matched with forensics recovered on the drugs found on the boy. Officers then recovered another phone from his Luton home containing messages outlining drug activity between him and Anderson.

The pair had also been stopped in Hitchin by traffic officers during the victim's missing episode, when Andall had given police a false name. It is believed they were on their way back from Lowestoft after supplying the victim with drugs. 

Anderson's phone data was analysed over this period and found to be in the same places as the handset for the Craig drugs line.

Andall, of Stonesdale, Luton, pleaded guilty to facilitating the travel of another person with a view to exploitation, being concerned in the supply of cocaine and heroin, and possession with intent to supply cocaine and heroin.

Anderson, of Acworth Crescent, Luton, pleaded guilty to facilitating the travel of another person with a view to exploitation and being concerned in the supply of cocaine and heroin. 

Andall was sentenced to seven years imprisonment for being concerned in the supply of heroin, while Anderson received six years and four months for the same offence. They were further sentenced to six years for exploitation, and three years for being concerned in the supply of cocaine, both to be served concurrently. 

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.