County lines drug dealer stopped at Three Bridges station jailed for over five years

He was stopped by officers from BTP’s County Lines Taskforce at Three Bridges railway station in February.

Charles Oluwaseyi Ogunnowo, 26, and of Crest Road, Croydon, appeared at West Sussex Magistrates’ Court on March 25 where he pleaded guilty to being concerned in supplying crack cocaine and heroin, possession of cannabis and possessing criminal property.

On April 1, a judge at Bournemouth Crown Court sentenced him to 68 months imprisonment.

At just after midday on February 24, Ogunnowo was spotted by plain clothed officers alighting a rail replacement bus service at the West Sussex station having travelled from Brighton.

His behaviour aroused the attention of the officers who then engaged with him as he walked towards a London-bound train.

The court heard how Ogunnowo then told the officers he was in possession of £850 as well as a burner-style phone, that he claimed belonged to his cousin.

He was subsequently searched under Section 23 of the Misuse of Drugs Act, and in addition to the money and phone, he was found to be in possession of cannabis.

The officers then arrested him on suspicion of being concerned in Class A drug supply, money laundering and possession of cannabis before conveying him to police custody for questioning.

An investigation into Ogunnowo’s activity was launched and text message data on the burner-style phone he was carrying on the day was analysed.

Detectives discovered more than 500 broadcast messages in the phone’s outbox offering the sale of heroin and crack cocaine to a mass recipient list.