Essex Police arrest three people in county boundaries drug crackdown

Essex Police said the men were suspected of being involved in the supply of Class A drugs from London and confirmed they would appear at Chelmsford Crown Court on June 26.

The arrests are part of a major crackdown on drug dealers on the county lines, many of whom are “flooding the Colchester and Kelvedon area with drugs”, according to a leading judge.

Accused – three men appeared in court and were charged (Image: Newsquest)

Police said a number of items important to the investigation were seized from the three men, named Fhazio Mulindwa, 33, Bamba Njie, 23, and Devontai Nisbeth, 19.

Mulindwa, of Brooks Road, Newham, is charged with four counts of human trafficking, conspiracy to supply class A drugs and possession with intent to supply class A drugs.

Njie, of Rayne Court, Redbridge, is charged with two counts of human trafficking, conspiracy to supply class A drugs and possession with intent to supply cannabis.

Nisbeth, of Broadway, Loughton, is charged with conspiracy to supply class A drugs.

Four people in Colchester have suffered drug overdoses in recent weeks, with charity Open Road raising concerns that synthetic opioids had been infused with heroin, making the substance even more deadly.

Essex Police said seven arrests were made last month as part of Operation Raptor, aimed at disrupting supply lines.

Courts – all three men will appear at Chelmsford Crown Court later this month (Image: Daniel Rees, Newsquest)

Detective Sergeant Jonathan Stephenson said: “We often talk about how and why we target drug rings we suspect are active in Essex, focusing not only on the supply of these drugs but also on the way in which this supply is organized.

“In Essex, our Operation Raptor teams don't just enforce the rules: when the situation requires it, we also have people on site who can identify people who are being exploited and, ultimately, offer them the help they may need.

“We will not stop this. Our work consistently shows that if you think you can supply medicines in Essex, you are wrong. You will be identified, you will be arrested and you will be charged.

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