[A] London drug dealer who spent 12 days in custody concealing Class A drugs inside himself has been jailed for drug supply offences in Barrow.
Victor Adetoyi, aged 24, of no fixed address, was today (2nd July) sentenced to a total of five years and seven months at Preston Crown Court.
Adetoyi pleaded guilty to possession with intent to supply heroin and crack cocaine at an earlier hearing. He also pleaded guilty to GBH and possession with intent to supply psychoactive substances whilst in prison.
This investigation was a proactive response by Cumbria Police to the County Lines method of Class A drug supply being used by offenders from larger cities. This particular individual was native to London and advertised his brand as ‘ACE’. He used a mobile phone that had the names and numbers of local addicts in south Cumbria stored in it. On a regular basis he would alert users to the availability of Class A drugs by way of text messages. Officers were able to show that once a phone call was made to the ‘ACE’ line he would then direct the user to a location in Barrow in Furness where drugs would be ready to hand over.
The investigation came to a conclusion on the 11th September of last year when officers detained Adetoyi alighting a train at Barrow in Furness. Once in custody the initial search of Adetoyi was negative. However Cumbria Police used powers under the Criminal Justice Act to detain Adetoyi until such a time where he would pass the drugs.
On the 12th day Adetoyi surrendered the drugs, worth £4,000, which were intended for the streets of Barrow.
A spokesperson for South Cumbria Drug Squad said: “People involved in this type of crime need to know that we will use every power available to us to make sure controlled drugs are recovered and do not make it on to Cumbria streets.
“Victor Adetoyi is an example of the lengths Cumbria Police will go to make sure that those people involved in this type of offence are placed in front of the courts. We will continue to target those involved in this type of crime.
“Adetoyi made numerous trips from London to Barrow to supply to local drug-users. When arrested, officers suspected that he had gone to very unglamorous lengths to avoid capture and were proven right almost two weeks later.
“I hope that this case sends a clear message to those that involve themselves in drug supply can expect significant prison terms.
“We will continue to prosecute all those involved in drug supply in our efforts to keep the local communities in Cumbria safe from drug-related crime.
“One of the main priorities for this unit is to pursue and apprehend criminal gangs that cause harm to our community. It is vitally important that the community share information with the police about activity in their area. This information may seem menial to the public but could be a significant piece of the jigsaw for the police. I encourage you to share your information with us.“
