Drug dealer jailed for three years

A drug dealer found with drugs worth more than £8,000, £2,000 in cash and a machete has been jailed thanks to the work of the South Operation Raptor team.

Basildon Crown Court heard how, acting on intelligence, officers from the Raptor team executed a warrant at a block of flats in Cluny Square, Southend on March 12 this year.

Inside they found 29-year-old John Abrahams asleep in bed with wrappings of Class A drugs on the bedside table next to him.

Abrahams was arrested and officers continued to search the flat where they found: 20grams of heroin worth around £4,000; 18grams of crack cocaine worth more than £3,000; three grams of cocaine; and 90grams of cannabis, worth around £1,000, in pots around the property; more than £1,000 in cash lying around the flat; as well as digital scales and other drug dealing paraphernalia.

A safe, found on the balcony of the property, was also found to contain a large machete and nearly £700 in cash.

Abrahams of Lynmouth Road, Stamford Hill, North London was arrested and charged with three counts of possessing a Class A drug with intent to supply. He pleaded guilty to the charges during a virtual hearing at Basildon Crown Court on Monday June 29 and was jailed for three years.

Abrahams denied a further charge of possessing a Class B drug with intent to supply and this was ordered to lie on file.

Following the hearing a spokesperson for Essex Police’s South Operation Raptor team said: “This is an excellent result with a drug dealer, a significant amount of Class A and B drugs and a weapon all removed from the streets of Southend.

“There is absolutely no place for illegal drugs on the streets of our county and Operation Raptor will continue to protect and serve our residents by seeking out those who, like Abrahams, mistakenly think they can commit this type of crime on our streets – they can’t.

“If anyone is under the illusion that drug dealing is a lucrative career, think again, here in Essex we will be waiting to arrest you, charge you and put you behind bars as well as seizing the cash earnt from the proceeds of supplying illegal drugs.”

Essex Police set up Operation Raptor teams in the North, South and West of the county to tackle drug and gang-related crime.

If you have information about drug or gang-related crime in your community contact Essex Police on 101 or you can report non-urgent issues via the website at www.essex.police.uk. Alternatively contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.