County Line Drug Dealers Jailed

Members of a county line drugs gang have been handed sentences totalling 34 years for their part in bringing illegal drugs into West Surrey and Hampshire.

It concludes months of investigation by officers into the network which was being operated from the Stratford area for several years.

Back in March 2023, police executed a series of warrants at addresses across London, Surrey and Hampshire resulting in nine people being subsequently charged and remanded.

The investigation was jointly lead by  officers from our Centurion team – a specialist unit for Surrey and Sussex Police and Operation Orochi from Metropolitan Police. Both teams are the forces respective leads on county drug lines. Both teams work closely as in this operation to co-ordinate our response to intelligence about county lines coming into our communities.

‘County Lines’ are so called because they involve transporting illegal drugs from one area to another, often across police boundaries, using dedicated mobile phone lines or ‘deal lines’.  Often the areas these drugs are taken to see an increase in levels of violence or other crimes because of the problems drugs and drug addiction bring.  

After being presented with a body of evidence against them, all those charged eventually pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to supply Class A drugs namely Crack Cocaine and Heroin.  They have all now been sentenced at court with the final two appearing on January 17^th 2024.

• Ross Bannister, 30 (DOB: 10/02/94) from Greenwich, was sentenced to nine years and four months for being Concerned in the Supply of Class A drugs and a further 27 months for possession of criminal property to run concurrently.

• Billy Cross, 25 (DOB: 29/06/99) from Basildon, was sentenced to nine years and four months for being Concerned in the supply of Class A Drugs and 15 months for possession of criminal property to run concurrently.

• Abraham Musoke, 29 (DOB: 08/10/95) from Bexley in London, who acted as a courier in the network, was given six years and nine months.

• Local controllers Paul Skabarntsky 29 (DOB: 29/01/95) of no fixed address and Jamie Smith, 31 (DOB: 23/12/93), from Greenwich, each received three years and one month whilst Liam Neylon, 27, (DOB: 07/12/97) from Farnham, received three years and nine months for offences in Surrey and a further two and half years for similar offending in Suffolk.

• Three ‘runners’, Noella Facer 50 (DOB: 07/12/74) from Farnborough, Hampshire, Dean Pearce 28 (DOB: 18/01/97) from Alton, Hampshire, and Kerry Pearce, 59 (DOB: 11/08/65) from Alton, Hampshire, each received two-year suspended sentences.

Hearings will now be looked at under the Proceeds of Crime Act to seize any assets gained as a result of criminal activity.

PC Ed Bush, who is part of the Centurion team, said: “All these individuals are part of a system that preys on the vulnerable and brings nothing but misery to our communities.  Everyday, we are working to identify who they are and disrupt their networks and I hope this case shows that it doesn’t matter how long it takes – we will find you.

“If you have information about someone you suspect is involved in the supply of illegal drugs or are concerned about someone vulnerable to exploitation by these gangs please contact us.”

You can reach us via –

• Webchat on our website https://www.surrey.police.uk/
• Our online reporting tool https://www.surrey.police.uk/tua/tell-us-about/cor/tell-us-about-existing-case-report/
• Calling us on 101

If you do not wish to speak to police, you can also call independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Top row (LtoR) Ross Bannister, Billy Cross and Abraham Musoke.

Bottom row (LtoR) Paul Skabarntsky, Jamie Smith and Liam Neylon.