A drug dealer from West Sussex using the railway to supply heroin and cocaine for the ‘Levi’ county line has been jailed for 45 months following a British Transport Police (BTP) investigation.
He was stopped by officers from BTP’s County Lines Taskforce at London Waterloo station in December 2021.
Robert Conna Crozier, 24, and of Aintree Road, Crawley, appeared at West Sussex Magistrates’ Court on 10 March where he pleaded guilty to being concerned in the supply of Class A drugs, possession with intent to supply heroin and possession with intent to supply cocaine.
On Thursday 7 April, a judge at Lewes Crown Court sentenced him to three years and nine months imprisonment. He was also ordered to pay costs totalling £190.
At London Waterloo station on 16 December 2021, Crozier was spotted using a burner-style phone by plain clothed officers.
The officers approached him and confirmed the phone was his before taking its details and allowing him to continue with his journey.
Detectives then launched an investigation into the phone’s communication data and discovered broadcast messages being sent to mass recipients, offering the sale of drugs. The messages, sent on 13 and 14 December, read “4 for 20 Levi” and “new and better don’t miss out”.
Suspecting Crozier was selling drugs for the ‘Levi’ county line, officers executed a warrant at his home address on Wednesday 9 March 2022.
Seizures from his address included heroin, cocaine, cash, a burner-style phone and equipment used to cut and weigh drugs.
Crozier was arrested on suspicion of being concerned in Class A drug supply and possession with intent to supply Class A drugs, before being taken to police custody for questioning.
In interview he responded “no comment” to all questions put to him.
Detective Superintendent Gareth Williams said: “Our dedicated teams patrol the railway every day to intercept drug suppliers like Crozier, who use it to peddle their harmful commodities between locations.
“We can pop up anywhere on the network, in uniform or plain clothes, constantly varying our tactics, including the use of drug detection dogs and behaviour detection experts.
“Whether you see us or not, we’re on trains and at stations across the UK tackling drug supply wherever it occurs, keeping vulnerable people safe and putting offenders behind bars”
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