Luton drug dealers jailed for modern slavery offence

Alex Anderson (left) and Jamal Andall (right) were sentenced at Luton Crown Court

Two men who sent a vulnerable teenager more than 100 miles from his home to sell Class A drugs have been jailed.

James Andall, of Luton, was jailed for seven years, and Alex Anderson, also from Luton, was sentenced to six years and four months.

Detectives investigated after the boy, 15, went missing in February 2020.

He was found three weeks later in Lowestoft, Suffolk, with £3,000 worth of Class A drugs. Both men had been in contact with him during this period.

Using phone data, detectives from Bedfordshire Police could prove the numbers belonged to Andall, 28, and Anderson, 29.

The force said it was the first time it had sealed modern slavery convictions for two people operating a county lines drug gang.

Prosecutor Peter Pride told Luton Crown Court on Friday that the two men were "pulling the strings" using the boy as a "puppet" to deliver the drugs.

The pair had been in contact with the teenager more than 500 times over the period he was missing.

The victim, in addition to the drugs, was also found with a large amount of cash and three phones.

Class A drugs were found on the teenager, who was exploited by the two Luton men

Both had pleaded guilty to charges of facilitating the travel of another person with a view to exploitation and being concerned in the supply of cocaine and heroin.

Andall, from Stonesdale in Luton, also pleaded guilty to two additional charges of possession with intent to supply cocaine and heroin relating to a 2019 offence.

Judge Recorder Claxton said they were involved in an operation of "some sophistication" that involved the "exploitation of a young person".

Detectives found incriminating text messages on a phone found in Andall's home

In May 2020, Andall was arrested in Ipswich for drugs supply offences. At that time a DNA swab was taken.

A warrant was then executed at his Luton home where a phone was recovered with messages between the two men outlining drug activity.

In June, officers discovered a forensic link between the drugs found on the teenage victim and Andall's DNA.

"We are not here to criminalise young people, and we will instead go upstream to find the exploiters and make them face justice," said Det Con Colin Knight, from Bedfordshire Police.

"This case also highlights the link between the frequent missing episodes of young people and the exploitation they may be subject to."