A London man has been jailed for four years for his involvement in County Lines drug dealing in Southampton.

Abdullah Sarumi, 28, of Fulham Estate Road in London, appeared before Southampton Crown Court on Thursday (1 May) where he pleaded guilty to two counts of being concerned in the supply of crack cocaine and heroin.

The court heard how a County Lines drug line had been operating in Soutampton under the name ‘Montana’ from August 2024.

A police investigation identified a phone number sending mass marketing messages under the Montana name for Class A drugs. Further police work uncovered an address in Woolston that was being used by the line holder.

A man, later identified as Abdullah Sarumi, was seen leaving this address on an e-scooter on 27 March 2025 and was arrested in the Post Office on Bridge Road.

A search was conducted at an address on Radstock Road, Southampton, after a key to the property was found on Sarumi. Officers found a quantity of crack cocaine and heroin consistent with supply, scales, cash, and the phone used for the Montana drug line.

County Lines drug supply is the trafficking of drugs from London into smaller cities and towns across the UK, using mobile phones. Line holders will use runners, often young and vulnerable children, to deliver the drugs. It’s linked to some of the most serious and violent crimes such as human trafficking, modern slavery, and child exploitation.

County Lines dealers will also often target and exploit vulnerable people to take over their addresses to deal drugs, this is a practice known as ‘cuckooing.’

Sarumi’s 48 month sentence comes after a thorough investigation led by officers from Operation Monument, Hampshire & Isle of Wight Constabulary’s response to tackling county lines drugs networks, with the support of the Met’s Operation Orochi team.

For more information about county lines drug dealing and how to spot the signs, please visit: https://www.hampshire.police.uk/advice/advice-and-information/cl/county-lines/

To report information you can call us on 101, visit our website or call the Crimestoppers charity anonymously on 0800 555 111. You can also visit their website at https://crimestoppers-uk.org/