Cambridge County Lines Dealer Jailed

Amin Malik, 23, was arrested by officers on 22 October after they discovered he was in possession of a mobile phone, which showed significant evidence of county lines drug dealing.

The investigation began on 20 April after officers stopped a man in Cambridge as they believed he was in possession of class A drugs. The man’s phone had received messages known as “broadcast messages” from a well-known drugs line offering to supply class A drugs.

The “line” will send out a single “broadcast message” to numerous recipients advertising their availability to supply drugs.

Cambridgeshire Police’s Intelligence and Specialist Crime Department (ISCD) carried out an investigation into the number sending the messages and were able to deduce that it was linked to county lines drug dealing.

Further investigations by officers tracked the phone and obtained CCTV footage from where credit top-up purchases were made for the phone.

These checks resulted in identifying Malik as the owner of the phone. Despite Malik’s best efforts to fool police by registering the phone under another name, officers were able to gather enough evidence to charge him with being concerned in the supply of crack cocaine and heroin.

Malik, of Third Avenue, London, Greater London, pleaded guilty to being concerned in the supply of crack cocaine and being concerned in the supply of heroin and was sentenced to five years and four months in prison at Peterborough Crown Court.