hree men have been jailed for running a drug network from following a Met
police operation. Saed Gutale, 25, of Cholmondeley Avenue, was jailed for six years for being concerned in the supply of Class A drugs and possession of a firearm and ammunition. Lloyd Brown, 25, of no fixed address, was jailed for six years for being concerned in the supply and possession of Class A drugs. Max Daniels, 19, of Orminston Grove, was jailed for five years for possession and supply of Class A drugs, possession of criminal property, and possession of a firearm and ammunition. All three men had pleaded guilty to the charges before and during the trial. Police Constable Jack Hardwick said: “We have taken down two more lines running in and out of London. “Our communities suffer as a result of the violence and anti-social behaviour they face in their neighbourhoods because of this criminal activity. “The recovery of a working firearm with suitable ammunition highlights the association between drug supply, even county drug lines supplying outside of
London, and violence and firearm offences on the streets of London. “The Met will relentlessly pursue those responsible for County Lines drug supply, bringing them to justice for their abhorrent crimes.” Detectives raided a property in Westminster in April 2021 that was believed to have been used as a stash house for drugs. Gutale, Brown and Daniels ran out of the back of the house when they heard the officers entering. They were caught and detained in the rear alley of the address. Over £35,000 worth of cocaine and heroin was found alongside a self-loading pistol and ammunition. Extensive phone communication enquiries concluded that Brown was the Line Holder of the ‘Adam’ line and Gutale and Daniels were the holders of the ‘TT’ line. Analysis of the two drugs line revealed the Adam Line had supplied over 1kg of Crack and Heroin and was worth over £9,000 per week between January to April. The TT Line had supplied over 2kg of Crack Cocaine and Heroin and was worth over £14,000 per week. Another man, aged 18, will also be sentenced at a later date for being concerned in the supply of Class A drugs. The Met has closed over 1800 lines and arrested over 3300 county line offenders since November 2019. In the same period, the Met’s Operation Orochi County Lines Taskforce has used data-driven precision methodology to arrest over 1100 line holders, resulting in 88 per cent being charged and 94 per cent convicted.