St Leonards Drug Dealer Jailed For Five Years

A St Leonards drug dealer has been sentenced to five years’ imprisonment following a trial at Lewes Crown Court.

Ammar Hroub, 25, from London Road, St Leonards, denied being concerned in the supply of heroin and crack cocaine, possession with intent to supply heroin and crack cocaine, and possession of criminal property.

Following a trial that concluded on Thursday, 18 December, a jury convicted him unanimously of all drug supply offences. He was cleared of possession of criminal property.

During the summer of 2023, police became aware of a county drugs line operating in Kent and the Hastings and St Leonards area.

Examination of a drug user’s mobile phone identified the line number. Further enquiries with the phone service provider revealed that the line had been used to send drug marketing messages to multiple users on more than 200 occasions between November 2022 and August 2023.

Enquiries also showed that the phone line had been topped up at a shop in the St Leonards area.

Police recovered CCTV of Hroub conducting the transaction.

Hroub was subsequently arrested and a BMW linked to him was searched.

Officers found 71 wraps of crack cocaine and 59 wraps of diamorphine (heroin) in the driver’s door pocket, along with a further 470 grams of loose diamorphine.

The drugs line phone was also recovered from the vehicle. A drug expert valued the seized drugs at £1,770.

Upon arrest Hroub was also found in possession of a single wrap of MDMA and £390 in cash.

Forensic examination of the drug wraps identified Hroub’s DNA on the knots of the packaging containing the heroin and crack cocaine.

Cell site analysis showed that both the drugs line phone and Hroub’s personal mobile phone travelled together to London and back via Kent on numerous occasions during the offending period, consistent with trips to restock heroin and crack cocaine.

In court Hroub claimed that his phone, the drugs line phone and his vehicle had been taken by another individual on those occasions, and that this person was responsible for sending the bulk marketing messages.

The jury rejected this account.

Hroub admitted possession of MDMA, an offence he had previously pleaded guilty to.

In addition to the five-year custodial sentence, the judge ordered the forfeiture and destruction of the drugs and mobile phones.

The court also directed that the recovered cash be split between charity and Sussex Police.

Investigator Julian Stokes, from Eastbourne Specialist Crime Team, said:

“The sentence reflects the seriousness with which the courts and police treat the supply of Class A drugs, recognising the significant harm such offending causes to individuals, families and communities.

“This case represents another successful investigation by the Hastings based Project ADDER team”.