Newport county lines gang jailed after 'exploiting vulnerable children' in Neath
An organised crime group exploited a 15-year-old vulnerable schoolboy to sell drugs on the streets, a court has heard.
The boy was selected by the gang because he was white, had an "air of vulnerability", and would be inconspicuous in the communities in which he was supplying heroin.
Swansea Crown Court heard how the operation was being run from prison by gang leader Dwayde Stock who kept in touch with the group via a prison phone, which authorities were listening in on.
The gang ran a network between Newport and Neath, with class A drugs regularly travelling back and forth between the two areas via trains and hire cars.
One of those making the journeys across south Wales was a child who had been recruited and exploited by the group.
Six members of the gang have now been sentenced to a total of more than 34 years in prison.
Dwayde Stock, David Rustham Allen and Justin James Hensall - all from Newport - were all jailed for drugs and modern slavery offences.
The other three - Joshua Nathan Jeffries, Ottis Jeffries and Bernard Christopher Hurley - also from Newport, were given prison sentences for supplying drugs.
The gang were sentenced to the following:
Dwayde Stock, aged 28, from Newport – nine years for drugs and modern slavery offences.
David Rustham Allen, aged 30 from Newport – eight years and three months for drugs and modern slavery offences.
Justin James Hensall, aged 36, from Newport – six years and eight months for drug supply and modern slavery offences.
Joshua Nathan Jeffries, aged 32, from Newport – three years and eight months for drug supply.
Ottis Jeffries, aged 28, from Newport – three years and four months for drug supply.
Bernard Christopher Hurley, aged 37, from Newport – three years and four months for drug supply.
It is the first county lines prosecution in south Wales not requiring victim's evidence to convict people of modern slavery offences and drug trafficking charges.
Detective Chief Inspector Phil Oseng-Rees, from South Wales Police, said: “We are committed to tackling County Lines to keep our communities safe and to jail those who take advantage of others for the purpose of drug dealing.
“Exploiting vulnerable children in this way is unacceptable and the use of modern slavery legislation is an important strand in the targeting of criminal networks who manipulate vulnerable children and adults to maximise their profits from drug supply. Today’s sentencing sends a clear message that we will continue to quash county line activity.”
Detective Inspector Marc Gardner added: “Exploitation and slavery have no place in our South Wales communities, and we will do all we can to arrest those involved."
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