Two men who were running a “county drugs line” supplying Class A drugs heroin and crack cocaine have been jailed for a total of nearly nine years.

Ipswich Crown Court heard how officers from the North Operation Raptor team began an investigation into the “Frankie” drugs line, which operated in Clacton in 2015.

The drug supply network, known as a county line, was believed to have been selling drugs from various properties in Clacton. A county line is a network of dealers who transport drugs from urban areas, commonly London, into rural and coastal towns and home counties using a dedicated mobile number.

Regean Richards-Neville, 21, of Robinson Road, Dagenham, admitted two counts of conspiring to supply a Class A drug and was jailed for three years and four months. Jamel Bousbaa, 27, formerly of Beckenham, Kent, pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to supply a Class A drug and one count of conspiring to supply a Class A drug. He was jailed for five years and four months.

On August 13 2015, the North Operation Raptor team executed a warrant at a property in Beaumont Avenue, Clacton. They arrested Bousbaa and seized cash, Class A drugs and mobile phones which were found to contain evidence linking him to the “Frankie” line and the supply of Class A drugs.

Officers continued investigating those involved in the drugs gang and on January 12, 2017, they arrested Regean Richards-Neville after he was caught on CCTV purchasing a top-up voucher for the mobile phone used to run the “Frankie” line.

Richards-Neville was taken into custody where he was found to be hiding 45 wraps of Heroin and 57 wraps of Crack cocaine.

Following the sentencing investigating officer PC Esther Talbot, of the North Operation Raptor team, said: “There was no doubt that Bousbaa and Richards-Neville were instrumental in running the “Frankie” county line supplying heroin and crack cocaine on the streets of Clacton.

“However, after a two-year investigation we were able to put both of them behind bars for a significant period of time as well as putting this county line out of business.

“Criminals may be under some illusion that they can come to our county and sell drugs on our streets, but they are very wrong. Operation Raptor will continue to proactively target these individuals and put them in prison where they belong.”