A suspected drug dealer has been charged after an investigation into the supply of Class A drugs across Medway and East Sussex.

Kent Police detectives identified a series of phone numbers believed to be in contact with known drug users in the Medway Towns and Hastings between November 2024 and January 2025. Through further investigation, officers linked the numbers to a location in St Leonards-on-Sea, East Sussex.

On Thursday, 23 January 2025, officers executed a search warrant at an address in St Leonards-on-Sea. During the operation, a man was arrested, and it was reported that a police officer was assaulted during the arrest. The search led to the seizure of multiple wraps, believed to contain crack cocaine, along with two mobile phones.

Leesean Francis, 25, from Moorland Road in Brixton, London, was charged on Friday, 24 January, with being concerned in the supply of heroin and crack cocaine, possession with intent to supply crack cocaine, and assaulting an emergency worker.

Mr. Francis appeared before Medway Magistrates’ Court on 24 January and was remanded in custody. He is set to appear for a hearing at Maidstone Crown Court on Friday, 21 February 2025.

Kent Police continue to investigate the distribution of illegal drugs across the region, and further action may follow. The force has urged the public to report any suspicious activity or information related to drug dealing.