A DRUG dealer who ‘cuckooed’ the home of a vulnerable person, using it as a base to supply the Class A drugs heroin and crack cocaine, has been jailed for three years.

Akeem Abiola, 20, of Hedgers Grove, Hackney in East London was jailed at Basildon Crown Court after admitting two counts of being concerned in the supply of Class A drugs.

The court heard how officers from the South Operation Raptor team were patrolling in Laindon on May 15 this year. They became suspicious when they saw a number of men entering a property.

Checks on a vehicle parked outside linked the car to a knife-point robbery in London.

The officers entered the home where they found it had been taken over by a county line gang to use as a base to deal Class A drugs. The tenant has since been safeguarded.

The officers searched the property and found cling film wraps used to package drugs for sale, cannabis grinders, a sword, a kitchen knife, a combat knife, an imitation pump-action shotgun, imitation shotgun shells on a belt, £565 and two phones used by the line to sell their drugs.

They also recovered six wraps of crack cocaine and one of heroin.

Abiola was arrested and phones found on him also contained damning evidence linking him to the supply of Class A drugs.

He was charged and admitted the charges at Basildon Crown Court on Friday June 21.

Following the sentencing investigating officer PC Adam Blackwell of the South Operation Raptor team said: “Abiola was a key player in the county line, supplying Class A drugs on the streets of Basildon.

“And, like many drug dealers, he preyed on a vulnerable adult, cuckooing their home to use it as a drug dealing base.

“Fortunately we removed both Abiola and the Class A drugs he intended to sell from the streets of our county.

“Operation Raptor will continue to relentlessly hunt down those people who think they can come to our county to sell drugs and commit crime on our streets.”

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 Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.