A POLICE chief is determined to tackle modern day slavery after immigrants and “debt-bonded” dealers in Southend are hit with prison sentences after being pressured into dealing drugs.

Offenders in Southend have been sentenced to several years in prison for dealing cocaine and cannabis in recent months.

However, defence lawyers have put forward mitigation concerning their clients as victims of threatening drug barons in potential cases of modern day slavery.

Chief Constable Ben-Julian Harrington said the focus will be turned to people heading these drug rings and runners will be looked at as victims when applicable.

He said: “Of course within the UK and Essex, don’t forget that not all modern slavery and human trafficking is about immigrants entering this country.

“We see the exploitation of people who are born, bred and raised in the United Kingdom who are exploited for things like drug running or sex work.

“We’re working to protect and safeguard those individuals to help them leave those environments because they are very often debt-bonded.

“In these cases they either owe money to the dealers or their family owes money and we’re trying to support them whilst tackling those people who head the chains.”

One potential case is Serraj Sayyed, of Brightwell Avenue, Westcliff, who was sentenced to 22 months in prison on October 2 in Basildon Crown Court Evelyn Hicks, mitigating, told the court that drug dealing higher ups pressured her client into bagging and delivering cannabis to pay off a debt.

Sayyed was found with possess 83 packets of cannabis and £530 in cash was also found in his car when stopped by officers in Hockley on August 5.

In a letter to the judge, Sayyed expressed a desire to move away from Southend upon his release.

Chief Constable Harrington added: “Quite often people who are running the drugs are under a slave master who happens to be a drug dealer.

“That is the 21st century and we’re tackling those incidents with force.

“Whether it’s young or vulnerable people, we will continue to do so and a lot of effort goes into those operations.”