Officers charge six men with drug related offences in Portsmouth during County Lines national week of intensification

Officers across the whole county have been targeting those individuals responsible for supplying drugs in our local communities – including those travelling from large cities from further afield such as London and Liverpool – and seizing copious amounts of drugs, cash, mobile phones and weapons.

County Lines means to deal drugs using mobile phones, usually from large cities to towns and rural areas in the UK. Line holders will use runners, often young and vulnerable children, to deliver the drugs. It’s linked to some of the most serious and violent crimes such as human trafficking, modern slavery, and child exploitation.

Our force-wide results can be found on our website via: Drug supply lines disrupted across Hampshire and Isle of Wight during national week of intensification | Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary

Throughout the week of action, which ran from Monday 25 November until Sunday 1 December, officers in Portsmouth have been working alongside the Metropolitan Police Service to disrupt drugs lines and execute a number of warrants, which resulted in 21 arrests and the following charges:

Emmanuel Akrinrinoye, 26, of Sedgemere Road, London has been charged with being concerned in the production of a Class B drug – cannabis, concerned in the supply of cocaine, concerned in the supply of ketamine and concerned in the supply of ecstasy.

He has been remanded into custody and is due to appear next at Portsmouth Crown Court on Thursday 2 January.

Ojutalayo Kola-Adejumo, 28, of Memess Path, London has been charged with being concerned in the supply of a Class B drug – cannabis, concerned in the supply of cocaine, concerned in the supply of ketamine and concerned in the supply of ecstasy. He has been remanded into custody.

He has been remanded into custody and is due to appear next at Portsmouth Crown Court on Thursday 2 January.

Levitic Ngolo, 26, of Portmeadow Walk, London has been charged with being concerned in the supply of Class B drug – cannabis, concerned in the supply of cocaine, concerned in the supply of ketamine and concerned in the supply of ecstasy. He has been remanded into custody.

Adam Ali Abdulahi, 20, of Magellan Court, London and Amir Cayachi, 19, of Boxley Road in Merton have both been charged with two counts of being concerned in the supply of a Class A drug and possessing criminal property.

They have been remanded into custody and are due to appear next at Portsmouth Crown Court on Monday 6 January.

Armand Babqori, 19, of no fixed abode in Slough has been charged with intent to supply a Class A drug – cocaine.

He has been remanded into custody and is due to appear next at Portsmouth Crown Court on Monday 6 January.

Superintendent Paul Markham, district commander for Portsmouth, said:

“Tackling and disrupting the supply of drugs, especially through County Lines, is a vital part of our work to reduce violent crime and keep people safe.

“Where there are drugs, there is almost always violence and exploitation, and whether through warrants or other operations, we are committed to doing everything we can to help protect those most at risk in our communities.

“Your information is vital to us being able to safeguard children and vulnerable adults and bring offenders to justice. If you have any details about drug-related activity in your neighbourhood, please report this to us.”

As parents are usually the first to identify signs and notice that something is wrong, it is crucial that you log your concerns and seek support from safeguarding professionals, so that your child gets the right support as soon as possible. Every child’s situation may be different and you may see real changes in your child’s behaviour. If you see any of the following signs, we encourage you to seek help as soon as possible:  

• Stealing money or items of value – this may indicate they have incurred a drug debt
• Exploiters may come to your home, workplace, or your child’s school to reclaim a debt. This can often involve them threatening you, your child and your family.
• They may have items stolen from them to pay for the debt and when asked what’s happened, they don’t give an explanation or become defensive.
• They may disclose that they owe money but will not provide information about who they owe it to or why.
• You may see a change in their behaviour such as becoming increasingly angry, aggressive, withdrawn, uncommunicative or secretive as well as being unable to sleep.
• You may see signs of physical harm, which they may try and hide from you or refuse medical treatment.
• They may start to carry weapons for their own personal protection. You may find evidence of the weapons stored or hidden in your home or in the areas around your house such as gardens, sheds, and drains.

You can find out more information on spotting the signs and the support available via the Ivision Trust: https://ivisontrust.org.uk/debt-bondage/

If you have any information that could help us in our ongoing efforts to tackle county lines networks and help make our communities safer for all, we ask that you please make a report to police by calling 101, or by using the online reporting tool at www.hampshire.police.uk

Alternatively, you can contact the independent charity Crimestoppers 100% anonymously on 0800 555 111, or via their anonymous online form at crimestoppers-uk.org.