Twenty-two-year-old given suspended jail sentence for bringing Class A drugs into Eastbourne via ‘County Lines’

Caylan Park, 22, from Wharton Close in Brent, appeared at Lewes Crown Court on Monday (January 31) and pleaded guilty to supplying Class A drugs to Eastbourne as part of a County Lines operation called the ‘Malik Line’, Sussex Police confirmed.

‘County Lines’ refers to gangs/crime groups from large urban areas using vulnerable individuals like young people to get drugs to smaller towns/cities.

Sussex Police and Metropolitan Police officers have been working together throughout this investigation.

According to police, in October 2021 Met Police officers conducted a raid at an address in the Brent area of London where they seized drug-line phones, £1,410 of crack cocaine and heroin, £330 in cash and a large knife.

Park has now been sentenced to two years in prison which was suspended for 18 months, police confirmed.

Detective constable David Brown said, “Class A supply has a large negative impact on local people and local services. This investigation demonstrated that we will work effectively with our partners in the Metropolitan Police to target and disrupt those responsible for county lines drug dealing.”

A Sussex Police spokesperson said, “We continue to see children being exploited by criminal gangs to supply drugs in Sussex. Children have travelled from London to Sussex to deal drugs on behalf of county line gangs as well as Sussex children being exploited and targeted by London gangs to deal drugs locally.

“Our priority is to identify those children at risk of criminal exploitation and once identified work with partner agencies to put the appropriate safeguarding measures in place.”

More information on County Lines