Martin Kamesa admitted being concerned in the supply of crack cocaine and heroin following an investigation by Kent Police’s County Lines and Gangs Team.

The 24-year-old, of Gipsy Lane, Birmingham, was given a three-year, nine-month sentence at Canterbury Crown Court on Tuesday 8 November 2022.

Detectives investigated the ‘CJ’ county line after it sent messages to drug users in Thanet from March 2022.

Enquiries suggested a dealer was bringing heroin and crack cocaine from the West Midlands and was using someone locally to help distribute the drugs.

Kamesa was identified as the runner from Birmingham and he was arrested in the city in August and brought to Kent for questioning.

Further investigation identified Donna Green, 42, as the person assisting Kamesa and she was arrested in Margate a week later.

Green, of no fixed address, also admitted being concerned in the supply of crack cocaine and heroin and was given a suspended sentence at the same court hearing.

Detective Constable Karl Shonhard, of County Lines and Gangs Team, said: ‘Drug dealing networks move in from outside of the county and try to co-opt local people into working for them.

‘I am pleased that we quickly traced the man behind this line and shut down the network before it grew any larger. The jail term now secured will protect vulnerable people in the area.’

For more information on county lines and how you can help us tackle the issue, click here.