Two drug dealers involved in distributing crack cocaine and heroin, who forced a vulnerable 15-year-old boy into their drug empire, have been sentenced to a combined total of nine years in prison. The Metropolitan Police and Cambridgeshire Police collaborated on a swift investigation that exposed the exploitation of the child.
David Rosa, 21, who is homeless, was sentenced to 4 years and 2 months at Cambridge Crown Court on July 15, 2024, after pleading guilty to charges of drug supply and human trafficking. Lamar Griffiths, 29, from Harlow, received a sentence of 4 years and 11 months on September 12, 2024, after admitting to supplying Class A drugs.
The case began when officers found the missing 15-year-old boy in Peterborough on August 7, 2023. The boy was discovered hidden at the home of a local drug user and was being coerced into selling crack cocaine and heroin on behalf of Rosa and Griffiths. Using data extracted from the boy’s phone, police tracked the movements of the criminals and uncovered the full extent of their drug operation.
Griffiths was arrested in Newmarket on August 9, 2023, after attempting to discard drugs and his phone out of a window. Rosa was apprehended at Cambridge station after being tracked following his train journey from Peterborough.
Although the teenager did not testify in court, he was protected from prosecution and referred to safeguarding services to prevent further trauma.
Police Constable Jack Hardwick, who led the investigation, said: “Rescuing this vulnerable boy from the cruel hands of exploitative drug dealers was our top priority. The dedicated work of officers from the Met and Cambridgeshire Police has ensured Griffiths and Rosa were brought to justice. This case sends a clear message to drug gangs exploiting children – we will catch you, and you will face the consequences.”
This investigation was part of Operation Orochi, the Metropolitan Police’s specialist unit targeting the most harmful county lines offenders. Working closely with regional forces such as Cambridgeshire Police, Operation Orochi aims to dismantle networks that exploit vulnerable youth across the UK.
Originally published by UKNIP.
