Drug dealer stopped at a rural station jailed for 18 months – Midlands

A drug dealer supplying heroin and cocaine across the midlands has been jailed for 18 months following a British Transport Police (BTP) investigation.

He was stopped by plain clothes officers at Droitwich Spa station having travelled from Birmingham.

Divine Chukwudi, 19, and of HMP Brinsford, Wolverhampton, appeared at Worcestershire Magistrates' Court on 23 December 2021 where he pleaded guilty to being concerned in the supply of heroin and cocaine.

On Monday 24 January, a judge at Worcester Crown Court sentenced him to 18 months imprisonment.

Plain clothes BTP officers patrolling Droitwich Spa station on the morning of 9 September 2020 observed Chukwudi nervously alight a train that had arrived from Birmingham.

They approached him and after a brief conversation their suspicions grew and he was searched under Section 23 of the Misuse of Drugs Act.

On his person officers found a burner style phone, a SIM card, a pot of Vaseline and a pack of wet wipes.

The items were seized, and he was arrested on suspicion of drug supply before being taken to police custody for questioning.

In his interview he provided no comment to all questions put to him.

Chukwudi’s home address was searched and officers seized two more SIM cards and a number of cryptocurrency wallets.

Analysis of the data held on the SIM cards revealed a large quantity of text messages had recently been deleted. Detectives liaised with the service providers and the deleted messages were retrieved.

The content of the deleted messages indicated he was supplying drugs, namely heroin and cocaine, and included a series of the same texts being sent to a large group of recipients.  

Detective Inspector Matt Davies said: “Drug suppliers like Chukwudi are a scourge on society – they’re peddling harmful commodities into our communities for their own financial gain.

“Despite no drugs being found on his person or at his home, it’s patently clear from his mobile phone activity that he was supplying heroin and cocaine across the midlands.

“I’d like to commend the investigative work of the team to uncover his criminal enterprise and thank the courts for handing down an appropriately strong custodial sentence.”