London man, 27, jailed for six years over Ipswich drug offences as part of cross-border investigation by Suffolk Police and the Metropolitan Police

A 27-year-old man from London has been jailed for six years for a string of drug offences in Ipswich.

Abdishakur Salah was sentenced at Ipswich Crown Court last Friday after being linked to the supply of heroin and crack cocaine.

He was convicted by a jury last August after pleading not guilty to dealing drugs.

The court heard that he was the controller of the 'Deano' operation that dealt in these drugs between April 27 and October 6, 2021.

His arrest came as part of Operation Orochi, an initiative by the Metropolitan Police to tackle London drug lines between the capital and Suffolk.

They worked with Suffolk Police to catch Salah, who was arrested on June 1, 2021 at an address, in Pelican Close, Ipswich.

There they found a large quantity of crack cocaine and heroin, and around £3,000 in cash.

Several mobile phones and SIM cards were also seized, which were later confirmed to be the ones used to run the drug line.

Following his arrest, Salah was taken to Martlesham Police Station for questioning before being released while the investigation continued.

The police probe was then taken over by officers from the Serious Crime Disruption Team (SCDT).

Salah was arrested again at an address, in Brightwell Close, Ipswich, on October 6, 2021, and was charged with drug dealing shortly afterwards.

Investigating Officer Detective Constable Daniel Steel, of the Serious Crime Disruption Unit in Ipswich, said: “The disruption of the Deano line is a great result. This investigation shows our commitment to work tirelessly to identify these networks and put a stop to the supply of drugs in our communities.

“Analysis of phone data revealed Salah was responsible for more than 2,100 messages relating to the supply of crack cocaine and heroin over a five-month period.

“I hope today’s sentencing reassures the public that we do respond to information we are given about illegal drug activity and continue to work collaboratively with other forces to disrupt these criminal groups.”