Two men behind a county lines drug operation in Hastings have been jailed following a joint police crackdown by Sussex Police and the Metropolitan Police.
Broli Martin, 23, from Enfield, north London, was sentenced to five and a half years in prison. His accomplice, Amedeo Seccia, 28, from St Leonards, received an 18-month sentence suspended for 24 months. Both men pleaded guilty at Lewes Crown Court on November 14 to possession with intent to supply crack cocaine and heroin, as well as involvement in their supply.
The police operation uncovered drugs, cash, and mobile phones. Officers initially spotted the pair dealing class A substances outside a Hastings seafront hotel last November. A subsequent raid on their hotel room found wraps of heroin and crack cocaine alongside £2,000 in cash.
Investigations revealed that Martin was running the county line from North London after being released on licence following a previous drug conviction.
County lines gangs use mobile phones to transport and sell drugs from large cities like London into smaller towns such as Hastings. Investigator Julian Stokes said, “County Lines are responsible for bringing harmful and dangerous drugs into our community. We work closely with the Metropolitan Police and other agencies to tackle these operations from start to finish.”
Project ADDER, launched by the Home Office in 2021, aims to disrupt organised crime groups involved in county lines drug trafficking nationwide. In one year, the project has helped disrupt over 600 gangs, seized £3.5 million in cash, delivered more than 10,000 arrests, and supported 13,000 people with drug treatment.
This latest sentencing sends a strong message that county lines dealers will not be tolerated in Hastings or beyond.
Originally published by UKNIP.
