Four men have been put behind bars today for selling drugs in north Essex.

East Anglian Daily Times: Kyle Bridgeman-Anderson, 22, of Roosevelt Way, Colchester. Picture: ESSEX POLICEKyle Bridgeman-Anderson, 22, of Roosevelt Way, Colchester. Picture: ESSEX POLICE (Image: Archant)

All four were arrested by Essex Police as part of Operation Raptor, a crackdown on drugs gangs operating in the county.

Officers from the operation raided a house in Normandy Avenue, Colchester, in May, Ipswich Crown Court heard.

Inside the home officers found Kyle Bridgeman-Anderson and a teenager, along with 52 wraps of cocaine, 1.19g of heroin and an 11.7g rock of crack cocaine.

Bridgeman-Anderson, 22, of Roosevelt, Way, Colchester, denied two offences of conspiracy to supply Class A drugs but was found guilty after an earlier trial. He was jailed for five years

East Anglian Daily Times: Aiden White, 18, of Windsor. Picture: ESSEX POLICEAiden White, 18, of Windsor. Picture: ESSEX POLICE (Image: Archant)

Also before the court was Aiden White, 18, of Windsor, who admitted two offences of conspiracy to supply Class A drug and was sentenced to an 18-month detention and training order.

Matthew Morgan for White said his client had no previous convictions and had been exploited by others.

Peter Clark for Bridgeman-Anderson accepted his client had a previous conviction for possessing heroin and cocaine with intent to supply.

In a separate case, also at Ipswich Crown Court today, were two men arrested in Braintree by plain clothes officers who witnessed a drug deal moments before their take down.

East Anglian Daily Times: Katakyie Addae-Kodua, 26, from London. Picture: ESSEX POLICEKatakyie Addae-Kodua, 26, from London. Picture: ESSEX POLICE (Image: Archant)

As the officers were about to approach Katakyie Addae-Kodua’s car they saw a gaunt looking male approach the passenger window and suspected a drug deal was about to take place, the court heard.

The officers, part of Operation Raptor, found two wraps of heroin and cocaine in the passenger footwell and a further 54 wraps containing the drugs in the trousers of Daniel Lewin, who was a front seat passenger.

Officers also discovered messages connected with drug dealing on a phone found in Addae-Kodua’s pocket.

Addae-Kodua, 26, of London, had denied possessing cocaine and heroin with intent to supply and was found guilty after a trial. He was jailed for four-and-a-half years.

East Anglian Daily Times: Darren Lewin, 22, from Barking. Picture: ESSEX POLICEDarren Lewin, 22, from Barking. Picture: ESSEX POLICE (Image: Archant)

Lewin, 22, of Barking, admitted possessing cocaine and heroin with intent to supply and was jailed for three years.

Chief Superintendent Paul Wells, Essex Police’s lead for Operation Raptor, said: “People may believe the gang lifestyle is an attractive, lucrative one – rest assured it isn’t.

“Gangs prey on the vulnerable in our community, exploiting them in their quest to sell drugs and make money.

“It’s not a glamorous life – gangs will often be the perpetrators or victims of violence involving their customers and their rivals. They will have no loyalty to you and discard you once you are no longer of use.

“Essex Police continues to step up its fight on those involved in drugs and gang crime.

“For every drug dealer that comes to Essex intent on committing crime, Operation Raptor will be waiting for them and it is only a matter of time before they too will find themselves in the dock.”