TWO drug-dealing rapists who abused and exploited vulnerable women have been jailed.

Paul Kariuki and Fowzi Hlal used the home of a woman in Littlehampton as their base for drug dealing.

Police say they “ruthlessly” targeted the woman, and their crimes against her included rape.

A woman from Carlisle also reported similar treatment, and following a joint investigation the men were put on trial and were found guilty.

“They reinforced their dominance through physical and sexual violence,” police said.

Both were sent to prison for 15 years, and can only be considered for parole after 10 years. They will also remain on licence from prison for a further five years after release.

Detective Sergeant Kirsty Murray said officers began an investigation into “cuckooing” at an address in Littlehampton in January 2017.

This is where drug dealers, often from London gangs, take over people’s homes to deal drugs in towns.

Kariuki and Hlal were both dealing crack cocaine and heroin, and took over the homes of two women who were both heroin users with mental health and learning difficulties.

Detective Sergeant Kirsty Murray said: “Two dangerous and predatory offenders have been convicted and two vulnerable victims have received the justice and support they deserve.”

She praised the hard work of Detective Constables Becky Hazzard and Tim Prangnell for working together to bring a joint trial to bring “compelling” evidence before the jury.

Tim Prangnell said it helped the jury understand the true and “heinous” extent of Kariuki and Hlal’s crimes.

He said: “They travelled hundreds of miles across the length and breadth of the UK, seeking to set up a national distribution network for their trade in heroin and crack cocaine.

“They assumed that these women would not have the courage to tell police their story, or the trust in the police to believe and support them. They could not have been more wrong.”

Det Con Prangnell said the case was another example of so-called County Lines dealing done by London gangs.

“They chose to viciously violate some of the most vulnerable women in society,” he added.

Paul Kariuki, 20, of no fixed address, was found guilty of raping both women, possessing crack cocaine with intent to supply, and assault causing actual bodily harm.

Meanwhiel Fowzi Hlal, 20, of Rydal Way in Enfield, was convicted for raping both women and for money laundering.