County lines drug dealers jailed after house raids

Sharmeran Hussin and Dastan Ghafour were jailed after a trial at Peterborough Crown Court

Two county line drug dealers operating a cocaine network between Cambridgeshire and Wales have been jailed.

Officers raided the Peterborough homes of Dastan Ghafour and Ozan Kandemir in February last year as part of Operation Hypernova – a crackdown on county lines drug dealing across Cambridgeshire.

They also arrested 25-year-old Sharmeran Hussin, who was running the so-called "Aki" line from Wales, police said.

Cannabis worth more than £9,000 and cocaine worth £360 was seized from Kandemir's home in Taverners Road, and phone records revealed the trio were sending out bulk messages to supply cocaine and crack cocaine in Peterborough.

At Peterborough Crown Court on Friday, Hussin, of Walker Court, Whittlesey, was jailed for four years and six months after being found guilty of being concerned in the supply of crack cocaine and cocaine.

Ghafour, 30, of Gladstone Street, Peterborough, was also found guilty and sentenced to four years for the same charges.

Kandemir, 41, of Taveners Road, Peterborough, previously admitted possession with intent to supply cocaine and cannabis - and being concerned in the supply of crack cocaine, cocaine and cannabis.

His sentencing hearing has been adjourned until 10 October.

Det Con Tracey Black, who investigated, said: "Drug dealing brings violence, exploitation and other serious crime to our streets and we see, first-hand, the devastating impact it can have on individuals and families every day.

"We hope this latest sentence sends a clear message that we will not tolerate this kind of criminality.

"Tackling drug dealing remains a priority and we're committed to relentlessly pursuing those who profit from the misery it causes."

Operation Hypernova 2 took place in February 2024 and saw 51 county lines dismantled and 33 people charged with 93 drug and human trafficking offences.