EIGHT people have been convicted of being involved in the supply of Class A drugs, as part of a long-term operation by police to disrupt county lines gangs.
After a series of trials at Portsmouth Crown Court on November 22, Daniel Olugbosun, 30, from Blackfrairs Road in London, was sentenced to five years and six months in prison, with his brother Michael Olugbosun, 29, also from Blackfrairs Road, was given a section 37 hospital order of detention under the Mental Health Act.
Amir Abrahams-Hodge, 26, of Bradgate Road in London, was given a five years and four months sentence.
Paul Penfold, 57, of Linden Road in Bognor, Gemma Best, 33, of High Street in Bognor, Darren Titus, 52 of Whyke Road in Chichester, and Matthew Kemp, 42, of Hawthorn Road in Bognor were each given two years imprisonment, suspended for two years.
Paula Reddings, 44, of Orchard Road in Chichester, was given a two-year community order.
Officers carrying out Operation Highwood executed a series of search warrants at addresses in Bognor and London in 2018, seizing large quantities of crack cocaine, heroin, cash and mobile phones to deal drugs, on what was known as the 'Ghost Line'.
A 16-year-old boy from London, who was suspected of being trafficked into West Sussex, in order to deliver drugs on behalf of the gang was referred to supporting agencies.
Detective Sergeant Jason Vickers of the West Sussex Community Investigations Team said: "We have teams of officers and investigators whose skills are being used to disrupt organised crime groups.
"This complex investigation, of a type often unseen by the local public, demonstrates our ability to act locally and follow up with warrants and drug seizures in London, working with colleagues in the Met to prevent crime in West Sussex.
"The principals running the line were brothers Michael and Daniel Olugbosun. Daniel was in prison at the time already serving a sentence for drugs offences but was still actively involved.
"This operation is part of our continuing work, alongside colleagues from other forces and law enforcement agencies, to combat 'County Lines' drug dealers who operate from London by operating special phone lines and using the homes of vulnerable people locally, in order to use as a supply base.
"We recognise the drug dealing seen in the community increases the fear of crime and we will continue to seek to make this area a hostile place to commit crime."
All defendants except Michael Olugbosun, who was unfit to plead but was found to have committed the offence after a trial of the facts, pleaded guilty.
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