A 15-year-old boy flitting between Peterborough and London and used by two men to act a drug runner, is to receive help and not punishment, police revealed. PC Malachi Creedon who led the Cambridgeshire end of the investigation said: “The boy, who is in care in the London area, was targeted due to his vulnerabilities, which sadly we see so often in this type of crime.”
PC Jack Hardwick of the Metropolitan Police said that despite the boy not supporting prosecution of both men “we were able to provide enough evidence to put these two men in prison, showing that those who deal drugs and seek to exploit children will be caught, arrested and face justice, even without victim cooperation”.
Police said the child victim was not prosecuted and was instead safeguarded, referred to children’s services and the National Referral Mechanism.
The two men who used the child in the supply of class A drugs were both jailed.
PC Creedon said the joint investigation “established Lemar Griffiths was running a county line between London and Peterborough, and David Rosa was working for him to facilitate the travel of the boy and force him to supply class A drugs.
The investigation into both men running the county drugs line between London and Peterborough began on 31 July last year when the Metropolitan Police Service received a report about a 15-year-old boy who was missing from London and believed to be in Peterborough.
Custody photos of David Rosa (left) and Lemar Griffiths with drugs seized upon Griffiths’ arrest. Image: Cambridgeshire policeThrough joint working with Cambridgeshire police, it was established the boy’s mobile phone was regularly in contact with those of Lemar Griffiths, 28, and David Rosa, 21.
On 7 August, the boy was tracked down to Millfield, Peterborough, – the home address of a known class A drug user – where he had been taken to from London to sell class A drugs on behalf of Griffiths and Rosa.
The following day, Griffiths was arrested at a house in Newmarket and witnessed to throw two items – later found to be a mobile phone and a package containing more than £2,000 worth of class A drugs – from a window.
Rosa was arrested the same day at Cambridge rail station after being intercepted travelling from Peterborough where the missing boy had been based.
A ‘deal line’ mobile phone which was found with Griffiths upon his arrest was analysed and found to be in frequent contact with the victim and sending out bulk messages to people in Peterborough about the sale of drugs.
The pair were both charged with being concerned in the supply of crack cocaine and heroin, as well as arranging or facilitating travel of another person with a view to them being exploited.
Griffiths was also charged with possession with intent to supply crack cocaine, cocaine, and heroin.
Both men initially denied all charges and appeared at Cambridge Crown Court last month for trial, however on day two they changed their pleas.
Griffiths continued to deny the exploitation charge, which will lie on file.
They appeared at the same court on Thursday (September 12) where Griffiths, of Orchard Close, Cambridge, was sentenced to four years and 11 months in prison, while Rosa, of London Road, Maidstone, Kent, was jailed for four years and two months.
Griffiths must also forfeit £2,850 in cash seized from him, which will be donated equally to Cambridge Community Foundation, Red Hen Project, and Peterborough Council for Voluntary Services (PCVS) and Rosa must forfeit £105 in cash to be donated to Cambridge Women’s Aid.
PC Creedon said the outcome of the case “has genuinely made children safer”.
PC Hardwick said: “This sentence sends a clear message that the use of children as drug runners is taken seriously by the Met.
“Despite the victim not supporting prosecution, we were able to provide enough evidence to put these two men in prison, showing that those who deal drugs and seek to exploit children will be caught, arrested and face justice, even without victim cooperation.”
Information about how to spot the signs of child criminal exploitation can be found on the force’s dedicated county lines information webpage, along with the option to report information or concerns about drugs.
