A drug dealer caught by police as he sold heroin and crack cocaine in Margate has been jailed for six years.
Officers were on patrol in Millmead Road, in Margate on January 4 when they saw a man acting suspiciously. As they watched the man, he was seen to deal drugs to another person before leaving via a nearby footpath.
As officers caught up with him, he was fiddling with the waistband of his trousers and looking over his shoulder.
The man was spotted chucking away a package containing wraps of heroin and crack cocaine.
Chakile Gonladieu, of no fixed address, was arrested and, when searched, officers found a large Bowie knife in his waistband along with a total of £1,645 in cash hidden. They also picked up the discarded drugs.
The blade of the knife measured around 10 inches long.
Following an investigation by Kent Police, it was found that Gonladieu, originally from London, had used a technique known as cuckooing where he had moved into someone else’s home in the Margate area, in order to use it as a base while he sold drugs.
Gonladieu, 19, pleaded guilty to possession of a knife in a public place, and two counts of possession with intent to supply Class A drugs.
He was sentenced at Canterbury Crown Court on Friday 27 April to a total of six years’ detention in a young offenders institution.
The case was part of an ongoing initiative known as Operation Raptor, which is designed to tackle, disrupt and prevent violent crime and the possession of offensive weapons, as well as the supply of class A drugs.
Senior investigating officer Sergeant Simon Clarke said: “The message is clear to anyone thinking of coming into the county to deal drugs. You are not welcome, our officers actively target drug dealing, and as this case shows, planning a short visit to deal drugs in Margate can and will lead to a long stay behind bars.”
