London man jailed for drug dealing in Portsmouth

On Monday (11 March) a London man was jailed for three years and nine months for drugs offences in Portsmouth.

Thomas Okumu (25) of Barncroft Close, Uxbridge, London, was found guilty of being concerned in the supply of crack cocaine and heroin and possessing criminal property.

He was arrested by Drugs Related Harm officers at an address of a vulnerable person in Stubbington Avenue on 1 October 2018. Drug dealers often house themselves in the homes of vulnerable people, giving them a base to deal drugs from, a term referred to as ‘cuckooing’.

Drugs with a street value of £4,560 were seized during the arrest.

Detective Chief Inspector Nick Heelan said: “Our Drugs Related Harm team and other officers work hard to safeguard vulnerable people in our city and to make it a hostile place for county lines drug dealers.

“This is another good result for Portsmouth; drugs have been taken off of our streets, a drug dealer is behind bars and a vulnerable person has been safeguarded.

“I hope this reassures our local community that this remains a priority for us and that we are continuing to disrupt drug dealing in Portsmouth.”

If you’re concerned about drug-related activity in your area, the things to look out for are as follows:

• A sudden increase in visitors to a house or flat and people only staying for a very short time.
• Short exchanges between small groups of people at or close to a flat or house.
• Residents leaving a flat or house on numerous occasions throughout the day and returning a short time later.
• People loitering in an area and using their mobile phones frequently.
• New-looking or hire cars parked outside a house or flat that wouldn’t normally be there, and being driven by somebody that you wouldn’t normally associate with driving that style of car.

If you have any information about drug-related activity in your area please call us on 101 or 999 if a crime is in progress. Information can be given anonymously by calling Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.