THREE men have jailed for more than 14 years for drug offences following a police operation in Clacton.

Mohamed Abdullahi, 20, Michael Martin, 18, and Rhyone Hinkson, 23, were sentenced at Ipswich Crown Court on Thursday.

The trio were arrested on January 22 following an operation in Clacton as part of two days of action targetting county lines drug dealing.

Abdullahi received a jail term of four years and nine months, Hinkson was jailed for four years and nine months and Martin received a jail term of five years.

It follows an earlier hearing on April 4 year where Hinkson, of Mansfield Road, Ilford, and Martin, from Blacksmith Close, Romford, both admitted two counts of possession with intent to supply class A drugs, and a further two counts of offering to supply class A drugs.

At the same hearing Abdullahi, of Ilford Lane, Ilford, admitted possession with intent to supply class A drugs offences, and possession of cannabis.  

The trio were arrested on January 22 following an operation in Clacton as part of two days of action initiated by The Clacton operation which saw them arrested was initiated by the National Crime Agency and Eastern Region Specialist Operations Unit and led by Suffolk Police.

The operation, led by Suffolk Police’s Serious Crime Disruption Team, was part of on-going work to tackle county drugs lines operating out of London into towns across the eastern region.

Officers using covert policing techniques observed the trio leaving a Travelodge hotel and to approach a Mercedes A class parked a short distance away.

Police moved in on the three men while one was detained immediately, two others made off but were detained a short while later.

All three were arrested and taken to Martlesham Police Investigation Centre for questioning.

Following an extensive investigation, all three were subsequently charged with four counts of possession of a class a drug with intent to supply. 

Further enquiries also revealed traces of white powder, believed to be class A drugs, were found on a table in a hotel room at the Travelodge as well as discarded packaging, again believed to be drug related.

The trio also faced charges after they were stopped in Ipswich, during which 56 wraps of class A drugs, mobile phones and a large kitchen knife were recovered from a vehicle.

The three were jointly charged with two counts of possession with intent to supply and all admitted at Ipswich Crown Court on 4 April.

Michael Martin also pleaded guilty to possession of a bladed article.

Det Insp Mark Pollikett, from the Serious Crime Disruption Team, said: “The arrests and charges were the outcome of many weeks of carefully co-ordinated planning and much groundwork which have reaped results.

“During their respective interviews whilst in custody the three of them responded ‘no comment’ and were all unable to adequately explain or justify their connection to the offences with which they were arrested for.

“These convictions are a great result – they demonstrate how the scourge of county line drug operations reach across borders and how by cross agency working we can achieve some great results.” to keep communities safe.”