Seven members of a drug gang will spend a combined 23 years behind bars for trying to sell heroin and crack cocaine.

This follows a six month investigation by Sussex Police officers from Operation Reduction, which tackles drug misuse in Brighton & Hove, into a London-fronted crime group who used runners from Brighton and Hove, Bexhill and Hailsham.

Kingpin Sebastian Vassell, 22, of Roystone Road, London, was sentenced to six years' imprisonment after being found with 72 grams of heroin and crack cocaine, with a street value of £6,552, at his home in December last year.

Other members involved in the supply chain include Dean Barrett, 22 of Hillside Road in Bexhill, who received two years and Lee Thompson, 44 of Albourne Close in Brighton, who was jailed for two-and-a-half years.

Alan Richardson, 19 of St Aubyns in Hove, was jailed for two years and 8 months while Jordan Catt, 18 of Greenwich Road in Hailsham, was jailed for five years and nine months including one sentence for a robbery offence.

Bryan Langridge, 43 of North Place, Brighton was jailed for five years, which included sentencing for theft, while Kieley Poole, 36, of Plymouth Avenue, Brighton, received a nine months' suspended imprisonment sentence.

Detective Inspector Julie Wakeford said: "As you can see from the court result this was a worthwhile operation and has completely disrupted this groups' ability to supply drugs into the city.

"We worked alongside colleagues in the Metropolitan Police to bring this operation to a successful conclusion and will continue to work with police forces across the country where we identify a supply network into the city."

 

 

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