Met police firearms

[Fedster + 1,307]

First use of legislation to convict county lines drug dealers

Fesal Mahamud and Mahad Yusuf

 

Two gang members have been jailed under the Modern Slavery Act after taking a 19-year-old from north London to sell drugs in South Wales.

Mahad Yusuf, 21, of Cuckoo Hall Lane, Edmonton, north London, was sentenced to nine years’ imprisonment, and Fesal Mahamud, 20, of Zambezi Drive, Enfield, north London, was sentenced to ten years.

They have both been made subject to a 20-year Slavery Trafficking Prevention Order.

Officers from the Met’s Trident and Area Crime Command used human trafficking legislation for the first time in UK legal history in a county lines case.

So-called cases involve criminals in cities controlling phone lines for drugs in rural areas.

The investigation focused on a London-to-Swansea county line operated by members of a street gang called Dem Africans based in Enfield.

The detectives, working with South Wales Police, identified an address in Swansea suspected of being used by the gang to supply crack cocaine and heroin.

A search warrant was carried out and a 19-year-old, who had been reported missing from her home, was found. The gang had lured her into a car following a brief interaction on social media, and drove her to South Wales.

She was met by Yusuf who told her she 'belonged to him'. The woman's phone was destroyed and she was held at the address for five days, during which time she was beaten, punched in the face and forced to store the drugs inside her.

Detectives from Trident uncovered a large amount of evidence linking Yusuf and Mahamud to the supply of Class A drugs.

Yusuf and Mahamud had both pleaded guilty to trafficking a young person for the purposes of exploitation under the Modern Slavery Act, and conspiracy to supply Class A drugs.

Detective Inspector Rick Sewart said: "The victim in this case suffered a horrendous ordeal at the hands of these two men, who trafficked her for their own criminal gain.

“She showed tremendous courage and bravery in coming forward. Her bravery has undoubtedly prevented other people from being exploited.

“Today’s sentence reflects the seriousness of this heinous crime and sends a message that the exploitation of young people will not be tolerated.”

The force says it hopes the prosecution will send a message to gangs that they will be punished for exploiting victims.

Police Oracle recently spoke to a Surrey Police SIO who used  Modern Slavery Act in a case where teenagers had been sexually exploited. 

View On Police Oracle