A pair of men have been jailed for supplying Class A drugs as part of a County Line.

At approximately 9.40pm on October 26, officers on patrol came across a black BMW X5 parked up on Cambridge Road, Harrow.

Officers approached the car and noticed Bhavin Patel, who was sitting in the driver’s seat, and Lawrence Amoah, in the passenger’s seat, were pretending to be asleep.

Officers knocked and both suspects refused to open the door.

After about a minute, they opened the door but were reluctant to answer any questions.

Drug paraphernalia was found in the car and both suspects were searched at the scene.

Patel was found with 125 wraps of heroin on his possession whilst Amoah was found with a mobile phone, which was subsequently found to be running a County Lines operation in the Kingston and Surrey areas.

Both men were arrested for possession with intent to supply Class A drugs.

Patel resisted arrest and had to be detained with force.

Both were taken to Wembley police station where they were interviewed and charged on the same day to appear at Willesden Magistrates Court on October 29.

Subsequent enquiries showed that Amoah had established the drug line on October 6, shortly after his release on remand for an unrelated matter.

Amoah and Patel were subsequently making daily trips to the Kingston and Surrey areas to supply Class A drugs.

Amoah was in control of the drugs line and would send a “bulk” message to over a hundred ‘customers’ in the dealing areas whilst Patel would then travel to these areas, either with Amoah or under his direction, in order to supply the drugs.

Patel pleaded guilty at his plea and trial preliminary hearing (PTPH) on 26 November and Amoah pleaded guilty on 17 January.

At sentencing, HHJ Cole said to Amoah that there was “overwhelming inference that you activated that line and supplied Patel” and that he was “directing or organising on a commercial scale, opening a new drugs market with an expectation of significant financial gain.”

Detective Constable Tom Palmer, from Brent’s Gangs Unit, added: “County Lines is a problem that the Met, along with the Mayor of London, is committed to tackling and today’s result is a positive step in disrupting those who profit off selling drugs.

“The judge’s comments totally reflect our own, in the fact that Amoah was attempting to open a drugs market on a commercial scale, and only cared about making as much money for himself as possible.”

Lawrence Amoah, 25, of Stafford Road was sentenced on January 31 to five years and seven month imprisonment and Bhavin Patel, 27, of Kilburn Park Road was sentenced to two years and six months in prison.

Both were sentenced at Harrow Crown Court.