On 1 June, Prince Jr Kroma, 28, of Newcombe Road in Southampton, appeared at Southampton Crown Court and was found guilty by a jury of being involved in the supply of a Class A drug – heroin.

The jury found him not guilty of being involved in the distribution of crack cocaine, a Class A drug.

Officers investigating drug supply networks in Southampton identified Kroma as a key player in selling heroin in Southampton in 2021, leading to his arrest on April 15, last year.

A mobile phone in his possession assisted in establishing that he was the owner of the Gucci drug line.

He was sentenced to seven and a half years in prison on Friday (June 10).

DC “By taking Kroma off the streets, we have removed one of the key players from Southampton’s drug supply chain,” said Rob Harnett of Western Investigations.

Heroin not only destroys the lives of those who use it, but it also causes a ripple effect of harm throughout our community, ranging from the organised crime and serious violence that accompany drug supply to the exploitation of vulnerable children as drug runners and adults whose properties are taken over by drug dealers as a base for their criminal enterprise.

I hope this sentence demonstrates our commitment to making Southampton a safer place to live, and it sends a clear message to anyone out there dealing drugs that we will find you and ensure justice is served.

If you have information about drug dealing in your neighbourhood, please contact police at 101, visit their website, or call Crimestoppers anonymously at 0800 555 111.