County lines dealer sentenced at court

A county lines dealer who peddled class A drugs into the Warndon area is behind bars after being convicted at court.

Joshua Kanu, 25, of Libra Road, Upton Park, Plaistow, London, pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to supply a class A drug – crack cocaine, possession with intent to supply a class A drug – heroin when he appeared before Worcester Crown Court on Friday (29 May).

Kanu was given 31 months for each offence to run concurrently with each other, and a forfeiture and destruction order was given for the drugs, drug paraphernalia and knife.

He was further ordered to forfeit £1,008 in cash and to pay a victim surcharge of £228.

Kanu was arrested after a visit to an address in Chedworth Drive Monday 19 August 2024 following reports of unwanted men acting suspiciously there.

Officers found him inside a property, together with quantities of heroin and crack that a police Drugs Expert Witness (DEW) valued at around £5,375, mobile phones, drug paraphernalia and £1,008 in cash.

A forensic examination of his phones showed evidence of Kanu being involved in a drug trafficking enterprise including messages consistent with in terms of slang used by dealers, weights discussed and the process of 'cutting' drugs.

DC Paul Modley from Worcester CID said: “Kanu was arrested after an officer detained him at an address in Warndon having found him there with the drugs, cash and paraphernalia.

“He was using the property to bring heroin and crack into the area from London, typical of a county lines dealer’s modus operandi.

“This is another dealer off Worcester’s streets and behind bars where they belong, rather than peddling illegal drugs and causing harm in our communities.”