Officers from the County Line and Gangs Team sought Alfie Bean on Wednesday, November 9, 2022, after their intelligence indicated that Bean had been making phone calls from a known drug dealing mobile number. He was apprehended at a shop on Sandgate Road with his friend Riley Day, who officers suspected was also involved in drug trafficking.

Bean’s phone was seized, and both men were arrested. A search was conducted at a location they shared in town, and police discovered heroin, crack cocaine, and a hob phone.

Detectives discovered connections between both men and two county-wide drug networks in the area. The phones seized contained evidence of drug supply as well as images of the couple flaunting their cash and drugs.

Bean, 18, of Rutland Close in Canterbury, and Day, 22, of no fixed address, both admitted to being involved in the supply of crack cocaine and heroin, as well as possessing crack cocaine and heroin with intent to supply.

They were both sentenced at Canterbury Crown Court on Thursday, February 23, 2023. Bean was sentenced to two and a half years in a Young Offenders Institute, while Day was sentenced to two years and eight months in prison.

‘The misuse of drugs can cause misery in people’s lives, and we will continue to disrupt and stop criminals like these from operating in this county,’ said Detective Constable Josh Cooper of the County Line and Gangs Team.

‘We regularly target dealers who are looking for a quick profit and are unaware of the negative impact their actions have on vulnerable people. Furthermore, we will continue to seize drugs and disrupt county line networks in order to make it difficult for criminals to operate in Kent in this manner.’