Eastbourne man jailed for running Brighton drug line

Saturday, 22 August 2026 06:00

By Philip Keeler

Patrick Kargbo, 23, of Royal Sussex Crescent, Eastbourne - Credit: Sussex Police 2026

An Eastbourne man has been jailed for seven and a half years after running a drug line in Brighton.

Patrick Kargbo, 23, of Royal Sussex Crescent, Eastbourne, was sentenced at Lewes Crown Court on 22 July 2026.

Police said Kargbo operated the ‘Ash’ drug line by sending hundreds of bulk marketing messages from a single mobile phone.

Between 14 July and 12 December 2025, more than 950 messages were sent advertising the line.

Following an investigation, officers executed a warrant at an address in Ryelands Drive, Brighton, on 9 December 2025.

Police seized 74 wraps of cocaine, four grams of heroin, eight grams of cocaine, more than 700 grams of a crack cocaine cutting agent, four sets of scales, several containers with crack cocaine residue and £10,885 in cash.

Kargbo was found inside the property after attempting to flush a mobile phone and drugs down a toilet. The phone was recovered and he was arrested.

The following day, he was charged with five counts of possession with intent to supply a Class A drug and breaching a slavery and trafficking prevention order.

He appeared at Brighton Magistrates’ Court later that day and was remanded in custody.

At a plea hearing on 21 May 2026, Kargbo pleaded guilty to the charges.

He was sentenced at Lewes Crown Court on 22 July to seven and a half years in prison.

The court also ordered the forfeiture of the seized cash under Section 27 of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971.

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