Drug dealers supplying Southend jailed after police op

Essex Police’s Operation Raptor team is dedicated to taking down drugs gangs and built cases against the ‘William’ and ‘Dexter’ county lines in 2023. 

Five dealers associated with the drugs operations have now been sentenced. 

The ‘William’ line operated from July 2023, supplying crack cocaine and heroin to Class A drug users in Southend. 

Investigations revealed that the line stretched from London, Bristol and Birmingham to supply drugs to the city. 

Abdel Toure, 31, was identified as the man heading up the line, and was linked to bulk advertising messages. 

Sentenced - Abel Toure, 31, of no fixed address, was jailed for five years and eight months (Image: Essex Police)

Claud Osbourne, 33, and Telmo Cangoma, 21, were also identified. 

Cangoma was arrested in a raid in Broadway, Leigh, on October 12, 2023. 

Toure and Osbourne fled on foot after being spotted on the same morning in Baxter Avenue, Southend, but were later caught and arrested. 

Sentenced - Claud Osbourne, 33, of Southchurch Avenue, Southend (Image: Essex Police)

Both men were seen by members of the public throwing phones into gardens while trying to flee.

The phones were later recovered by officers. 

Toure was found with £585 in cash on him, while Osbourne was found carrying a packet of cocaine. 

Toure, Osbourne and Cangoma later admitted being involved in supplying of crack cocaine and heroin. 

Osbourne, of Southchurch Avenue, Southend, was jailed for two years and eight months at Basildon Crown Court in March this year. 
 
Cangoma, of Broadway, Leigh, appeared at the same court earlier this month, where he was sentenced to 20 months in jail, suspended for 18 months. He must complete 80 hours of unpaid work and rehabilitation activity. 
 
Toure, of no fixed address, was jailed for five years and eight months at the same court on Wednesday, October 23. 

The ‘Dexter’ line was also found supplying Class A drugs in Southend around November 2023, and a runner was stopped mid-drug deal and arrested in January. 

The heroin found on him was tested and found to be contaminated with a dangerous synthetic opioid. 

Darian Clarke, 30, and Johnathan Adebisi, 26, were identified as key members of the line. 

Police - Darian Clarke, 30, of London Road, Westcliff, handed himself in to Southend Police (Image: Essex Police)

Clarke, of London Road, Westcliff, handed himself in at Southend Police in September, while Adebisi, of no fixed address, was arrested in Chelmsford a month earlier. 

Both admitted being concerned in the supply of crack cocaine and heroin and appeared for sentence at Basildon Crown Court on Wednesday, October 23. 
 
Adebisi was jailed for four years, while Clarke was jailed for three years and two months. 

Jailed - Jonathan Adebisi, 26, of no fixed address, was jailed for four years (Image: Essex Police)

Southend district commander Chief Insp Dave Browning said: “We rely on the reports we receive from the honest and law-abiding community in Southend to tackle these drug lines and end their vile trade. 

“I would thank those members of the public who assisted officers while they made key arrests in one of these cases. 

“Both Toure and Osbourne thought they could flee, but were swiftly proven wrong. 

“The sale of crack cocaine and heroin in Southend brings wider violence and disorder and we’re committed to stamping out the criminals fuelling this supply. 

“There is a very real danger in taking drugs. One of these cases proves users can never be sure of what they are taking. 

“Heroin is an inherently dangerous substance and the emergence of synthetic opioids as a national issue is only making this drug more deadly. 

“Not only are we securing arrests and charges against those involved in these county lines, but we are seizing and removing harmful substances from circulation. 

“These cases are just two examples of our ongoing work to disrupt county lines activity in the south of Essex.”