Drug dealers jailed after boy, 15, trafficked

David Rosa, left, and Lemar Griffiths were jailed at Cambridge Crown Court

Two county lines dealers have been jailed for selling Class A drugs in a case in which a 15-year-old boy was trafficked.

The teenager was traced in Peterborough after being reported missing from London.

A police investigation established his mobile phone was in contact with those of Lemar Griffiths, 28, and David Rosa, 21.

Appearing at Cambridge Crown Court, both admitted being concerned in the supply of crack cocaine and heroin, and Rosa also admitted arranging or facilitating travel of another person with a view to them being exploited.

The dealers were operating a county lines drug line between Peterborough and London and selling crack cocaine and heroin

Both initially denied all charges and appeared at the court last month for trial, but on day two they changed their pleas.

Griffiths continued to deny the exploitation charge, which will lie on file.

Drugs thrown from window

On 31 July last year, the Metropolitan Police received a report that the boy was missing.

A week later he was tracked down at a house in Millfield, Peterborough, where he had been taken to sell drugs.

The following day, Griffiths was arrested at a house in Newmarket, Suffolk, and was seen throwing a mobile phone and a package containing Class A drugs with a street value of more than £2,000 from a window.

Rosa was arrested the same day at Cambridge railway station after being intercepted travelling from Peterborough.

Griffiths, of Orchard Close, Cambridge, was jailed for four years and 11 months, and Rosa, of London Road, Maidstone, Kent, for four years and two months.

Griffiths must also forfeit £2,850 in cash and Rosa £105.

The pair were charged in connection of supply of heroin and crack cocaine

PC Malachi Creedon, of Cambridgeshire Police, said: “Our joint investigation established Griffiths was running a county line between London and Peterborough, and Rosa was working for him to facilitate the travel of the boy and force him to supply Class A drugs.

“The boy, who is in care in the London area, was targeted due to his vulnerabilities, which sadly we see so often in this type of crime.

"This result has genuinely made children safer.”

PC Jack Hardwick, of the Metropolitan Police, said: “This sentence sends a clear message that the use of children as drug runners is taken seriously by the Met."

The child was not prosecuted and was instead safeguarded, police said.