Two men who ran a county lines drug operation between London and Cambridgeshire and were involved in exploiting a boy have been jailed after being linked to a missing child investigation.
On July 31, 2023, the Metropolitan Police Service received a report about a 15-year-old boy who was missing from London and believed to be in Peterborough.
Through joint working with Cambridgeshire Police officers, it was established the boy’s mobile phone was regularly in contact with those of Lemar Griffiths, 28, and David Rosa, 21.
On August 7, the boy was tracked down to an address in Millfield, Peterborough, – the home address of a known Class A drug user – where he had been taken to from London to sell class A drugs on behalf of both Griffiths and Rosa.
On August 8, Griffiths was arrested at a house in Newmarket and witnessed to throw two items – later found to be a mobile phone and a package containing more than £2,000 worth of class A drugs – from a window.
Rosa was arrested the same day at Cambridge train station after being intercepted travelling from Peterborough, where the missing boy had been based.
A ‘deal line’ mobile phone which was found with Griffiths upon his arrest was analysed and found to be in frequent contact with the victim and sending out bulk messages to people in Peterborough about the sale of drugs.
The pair were both charged with being concerned in the supply of crack cocaine and heroin, as well as arranging or facilitating travel of another person with a view to them being exploited.
Griffiths was also charged with possession with intent to supply crack cocaine, cocaine and heroin.
Both men initially denied all charges and appeared at Cambridge Crown Court last month for trial, however on day two they changed their pleas.
Griffiths continued to deny the exploitation charge, which will lie on file.
They appeared at the same court on September 12, where Griffiths, of Orchard Close, Cambridge, was sentenced to four years and 11 months in prison, while Rosa, of London Road, Maidstone, Kent, was jailed for four years and two months.
Griffiths must also forfeit £2,850 in cash seized from him, which will be donated equally to Cambridge Community Foundation, Red Hen Project and Peterborough Council for Voluntary Services (PCVS) and Rosa must forfeit £105 in cash to be donated to Cambridge Women’s Aid.
PC Malachi Creedon, who led the Cambridgeshire investigation, 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, who led the Metropolitan Police investigation, said: "This sentence sends a clear message that the use of children as drug runners is taken seriously by the Met.
"Despite the victim not supporting prosecution, we were able to provide enough evidence to put these two men in prison, showing that those who deal drugs and seek to exploit children will be caught, arrested and face justice, even without victim cooperation."
The child was not prosecuted and was instead safeguarded, referred to Children's Services and the National Referral Mechanism.
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