Bristol drug dealer jailed for modern slavery offence
- Published
A drug dealer who was involved in trafficking children to sell crack cocaine and heroin has been jailed.
Tai Makessa, of Hepburn Road, Bristol, pleaded guilty to two counts of supplying Class A drugs and modern slavery offences in which children were exploited to transport and sell drugs.
He was sentenced on Thursday to spend three years and nine months in prison.
The 24-year-old was also made subject to a five-year Slavery and Trafficking Prevention Order.
Bristol Crown Court heard how officers discovered two teenage children had been trafficked from Luton to the South West to deal drugs, while a teenage adult had been trafficked from one part of the South West to another.
The court also heard how Makessa had been involved in transporting the teenagers to addresses to supply drugs.
Makessa pleaded guilty to one count of arranging or facilitating travel of another person with a view to exploit them.
In addition to his prison sentence, he will also be the subject of a Proceeds of Crimes (POCA) hearing.
As part of the investigation, another person, Mohammed Sillah, of Kings Meadow, in Nuneaton, Warwickshire, was found guilty of two counts of supplying Class A drugs and for being in possession of criminal property and cannabis.
The 34-year-old was sentenced to four years and nine months in prison and will also be the subject of a POCA hearing.
A third offender, Harvey Worthington, 24, of no fixed address, pleaded guilty to two counts of supplying Class A drugs and two counts of possession with intent to supply.
He was given a 22-month prison sentence suspended for two years in August.
Det Insp Angela Burtonwood, from the County Lines Team in Op Remedy, said it had been a "long, detailed investigation" to bring these men to justice.
"We hope that this result provides reassurance to the community that we are dedicated in our effort to crack down on the plight of drug dealing in our area," she said.
"The county lines team continues to target adults who use children and vulnerable people to traffic drugs across the country."
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