Joel Louis, 34, of Ealing Road, Wembley, was jailed for 12 years and nine months on Friday, September 11, after police traced him to a wardrobe via a public WiFi connection. The sentence follows a Met Police investigation into the 'Bobby' drugs line, which involved the supply of cocaine and heroin in north Kilburn.
Investigation and arrest
The investigation began when officers seized the mobile phones of children suspected of being involved in the supply of illegal substances. Louis, who was in charge of the line, had gone to extreme measures to avoid detection, including running all devices through a virtual private network (VPN). However, he was finally identified after logging into a public network at an address where he was hiding.
Once located on July 7, officers went to the address in Wembley and immediately found Louis trying to hide from police in a wardrobe. As he was arrested, he asked: 'How did you find me?'
Evidence and charges
An analysis of his phone showed that Louis was receiving more than 100 calls a day from nearly 250 drug users. He had also bragged to some of them that he owned a firearm.
At the address, officers found Class A drugs including cocaine and heroin with a street value of £8,800, around £8,000 in cash, and six mobile phones – one of which was the phone used to run the 'Bobby' line. Police also found a loaded firearm hidden in a box at the property, as well as 13 rounds of 9mm ammunition – three of which were loaded into the firearm's magazine – a machete, and a flip knife.
On the day he was found, Louis was charged with two counts of possession with intent to supply Class A drugs, possession of an offensive weapon in a private place, possession of a firearm, and possession of ammunition.
Impact and statements
Detective Constable Lauren Gresty, who led the investigation, said: 'Louis recruited numerous young people to move drugs around north Kilburn, exposing them to violence, intimidation and criminality for his own financial gain.'
'County lines devastate lives. It is far more than drug dealing. It causes damage to local communities through its connections to acquisitive crimes and anti-social behavior. Louis believed he could hide from police to further his offending, but this result shows our tenacity in going after those who cause the most harm in London.'
The sentence reflects the severity of the offences and the broader impact of county lines drug supply on communities. The case highlights the effectiveness of digital tracing methods in bringing offenders to justice.
