Three men have been jailed for running a drug network in Westminster.
Saed Gutale, 25 (08.02.98) of Cholmondeley Avenue, NW10 was jailed for six years for being concerned in the supply of Class A drugs and possession of a firearm and ammunition.
Lloyd Brown, 25 (05.05.97) of no fixed address was jailed for six years being concerned in the supply and possession of Class A drugs.
Max Daniels, 19 [17.09.03] of Orminston Grove, W12 was jailed for five years for possession and supply of Class A drugs, possession of criminal property, and possession of a firearm and ammunition.
All pleaded guilty to charges before and during trial.
On Tuesday, 12 April 2021, police from the Operation Orochi team raided a house in Westminster that was believed to be being used as a drugs stash house.
Three suspects, Gutale, Brown and Daniels, ran out of the back of the house when they heard the officers entering. They were caught and detained in the rear alley of the address.
Over £35,000 worth of cocaine and heroin was found alongside a self-loading pistol and ammunition.
The pistol had been converted , enabling it to be viably fired.
Phones were found which corroborated their involvement in running the drug line. This enabled the officers to locate a fourth suspect, who was aged 17, at his home address later that same day.
He had been acting as a drugs runner.
Extensive phone communication enquiries concluded that Brown was the Line Holder of the ‘Adam’ line and Gutale and Daniels were the holders of the ‘TT’ line. Analysis of the two drugs line showed, that between January to April, the Adam Line had supplied over 1kg of Crack and Heroin and was worth over £9,000 per week. The TT Line had supplied over 2kg of Crack Cocaine and Heroin and was worth over £14,000 per week.
Police Constable Jack Hardwick from the Op Orochi team, said: “We have taken down two more lines running in and out of London.
“Our communities suffer as a result of the violence and anti-social behaviour they face in their neighbourhoods because of this criminal activity. The recovery of a working firearm with suitable ammunition highlights the association between drug supply, even county drug lines supplying outside of London, and violence and firearm offences on the streets of London.
“The Met will relentlessly pursue those responsible for County Lines drug supply, bringing them to justice for their abhorrent crimes.”
Another man, aged 18, of NW10 will also be sentenced at a later date for being concerned in the supply of Class A drugs.
The Met has closed over 1800 lines and arrested over 3300 county line offenders since November 2019. In the same period, the Met’s Operation Orochi County Lines Taskforce has used data-driven precision methodology to arrest over 1100 line holders, resulting in 88% being charged and 94% convicted.
