A County Lines criminal has been jailed for over 13 years for major drug offences in Cumbria.

Cumbria detectives helped in a protracted and detailed investigation which led to the prosecution of a man for county lines drugs offences committed across the UK.

David Oladimeji, 28, of London, was sentenced to 13 years and 8 months in prison for the following offences, having previously pled guilty to all charges:

• Conspiracy to supply controlled drugs of class A
• Possessing Criminal Property
• Possessing Ammunition without a firearm certificate

Police in Carlisle learned in 2017 that crack cocaine and heroin was being supplied in the city by persons from London. 

Between August 2017 and May 2019, six ‘County Lines’ drug supply telephone lines operating in Carlisle were identified and dismantled by Cumbrian Detectives, with the offenders being sentenced at the City’s Crown Court.

However, the identity of the person in charge remained unknown to police, other than their nickname of ‘Sammy’. Police suspected that this may be David Oladimeji, who had been located in Carlisle by Police in October 2017.

A separate enquiry, codenamed Operation Ouzo, was launched in 2020 to target Oladimeji’s suspected link to these historic County Lines.

Detailed analysis of historic telecommunication data led to the identification of two addresses of interest in Southern England.

Cumbrian detectives worked with counterparts in Norfolk and Suffolk, who were engaged in an ongoing enquiry into Oladimeji’s latest criminal activity in the southeast.

This culminated in Oladimeji being arrested in London as he left a flat. Within the flat heroin, cash, firearms components and the mobile phone handsets that had been used to run the Carlisle County Lines were recovered in an envelope.

Other handsets found in similar envelopes were for County Lines being run in other towns and cities in the UK.

Oladimeji was sentenced on March 29 at Peterborough Crown Court.

This investigation forms part of Operation Alliance; Cumbria Constabulary’s ongoing response to protect the county against serious and organised crime.

Detective Constable Tim Prangnell from the Cumbria Constabulary’s Cumberland Serious & Organised Crime Unit said: “Oladimeji was a key individual in bringing crack cocaine and heroin into the Carlisle area for a number of years. Despite his efforts to remain distanced from the criminality through using the County Lines drug supply method, through working in partnership with Norfolk and Suffolk’s Serious & Organised Crime Unit, we were able to hold him accountable for this activity, despite the historic nature of the offences.

“Operation Alliance sees us work with various other law enforcement and partner agencies to protect people and bring criminals like Oladimeji to justice.

“This substantial prison sentence should serve as a clear message to anyone considering involving themselves in similar criminal activity.

“Cumbria is not safe place for county lines criminals dealing drugs, and we will do all we can to stop those intent on exploiting our communities.”