County lines dealer jailed for exploiting boy, 14, to act as Essex drug runner

A county lines dealer has been jailed for exploiting a 14-year-old boy to act as a drug runner in Essex.

Alieu Koroma, 22, from Enfield, pleaded guilty to supplying crack cocaine and heroin and was sentenced at Wood Green Crown Court to a total of 46 months in prison.

Officers from the Met’s specialist team dedicated to tackling county lines began investigating after a 14-year-old boy was reported missing from his home in north east London.

The child was found at an address in Clacton-on-Sea, where a large quantity of cash was also discovered.

Koroma was arrested later the same day in north London and found with a phone used to control the county line as well as a lock knife.

"This case is just another example of how county line dealers exploit young and vulnerable people to facilitate their drug supply," said Detective Constable Ben Baker. “This investigation demonstrates our commitment to finding and prosecuting those involved in this kind of activity, which we know fuels violence across our city," he added.

What is County Lines?

County lines is where illegal drugs are taken from one area to another, often across police and local authority boundaries usually by children or vulnerable people who are coerced by gangs.

The ‘County Line’ is the mobile phone line used to take the orders of drugs.

Importing areas (areas where the drugs are taken to) are reporting increased levels of violence and weapons-related crimes as a result of the trend, according to the National Crime Agency.

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