Three brothers have been jailed for dealing drugs from a fast food shop in the Towns.

Abdul Alim, 30, Abdul Halim, 27, and Abdul Hakim, 28, all of Charles Street, Chatham, locked up on Tuesday at Maidstone Crown Court.

Following an investigation by Kent Police’s Operation Raptor team, the brothers were all charged with one count each of conspiracy to supply cannabis, being concerned in the production of cannabis and money laundering.

The trio pleaded guilty to all the charges.

Alim also pleaded guilty to a charge of possession of cocaine.

The judge jailed Alim for two years and three months and both Halim and Hakim were jailed for two years.

The court heard how in January last year, officers executed search warrants at two addresses in Charles Street and at ABZ BBQ Kitchen in Batchelor Street.

Officers found 12 bags of cannabis in the fast food restaurant, and at their home a total of 139 grams of cannabis was found along with a small amount of cocaine and £15,000 cash.

At the second address in Charles Street, a safe containing over £45,000 was located.

All the cash was seized under the Proceeds of Crime Act.

Investigating officer, DC Danny James, said: "Our investigation following these three warrants identified that these three brothers were producing and dealing drugs in Chatham over a period of time.

"This included using a fast food restaurant as a base from which to operate, and it is clear from their lifestyles and the large sums of cash seized that this was not a small operation.

"I hope that their arrests and sentences send a message that Kent Police will not tolerate this kind of organised criminality, and we will work relentlessly to prosecute offenders and recover their ill-gotten gains."

The investigation formed part of Operation Raptor, a county-wide initiative aimed at preventing and disrupting violent crime and the supply of class A drugs.