Three county line drug dealers have been handed significant jail sentences for distributing heroin and cocaine across Maidstone and other towns in West Kent.
Kent Police’s County Line and Gang Team successfully identified and dismantled the criminal operation after tracking a specific phone linked to the gang selling Class A drugs in late 2019. The group, known as the ‘Benny Line’, sent marketing texts to drug users offering heroin and cocaine, who then placed orders by replying to arrange deliveries.
Between October 15 and December 9, 2019, Dale Percy, aged 34, Ben Roberts, aged 39, and a 17-year-old youth managed the phone and coordinated regular drug runs. Evidence also showed the gang extended their drug shipments to locations beyond West Kent, including Brighton in East Sussex.
The teenage dealer was arrested by Kent Police in south London on December 9, 2019. Percy, from Hayle Road, Maidstone, was also arrested on the same day. Roberts, who lives on Nursery Road, Aylesford, was apprehended on December 11.
All three defendants later pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply heroin and cocaine at Maidstone Crown Court. On November 5, Dale Percy was sentenced to three years in prison. Ben Roberts received a sentence of three years and one month. The 17-year-old was sentenced to two years and seven months in a young offenders institution.
Detective Inspector Matt Talboys condemned the activities of the gang, stating, “These dealers bring misery to the streets of Kent. We’ll keep hunting down anyone trying to peddle Class A drugs.” He added, “Using mobile phones and fake names won’t save them – we catch them every time and bring them swiftly to justice.”
Originally published by UKNIP.
