A couple who used a teenage boy to run heroin and crack cocaine from London to Medway has been jailed,

Devon McCallum and Nardia Seedat were sentenced after police stopped their victim at a train station.

Investigations were launched after BTP officers stopped and engaged the 13-year-old boy at Rochester rail station on September 15, 2020.

He was searched and found to be in possession of £1,500 in cash and a Samsung phone. He was arrested and brought into custody.

Suspecting he was being exploited in county lines activity, officers referred him for safeguarding and launched an investigation into his controllers.

Data downloaded from the child’s phone showed multiple calls and texts from a contact saved as “SYK” and a text from another number directing the child to take the 4.55pm train from Deptford to Rochester on the day of his arrest.

The two numbers were in constant contact with the boy’s phone throughout September as he travelled between London and Kent.

Detectives were able to link McCallum, also known as “SYKES”, to the “SYK” number and the second number to Seedat.

As the child travelled between London and Kent, broadcast messages were being sent from the ‘REM’ county line, controlled by McCallum, to contacts in Medway.

The messages offered the sale of heroin and crack cocaine and read, “back on got both – REM”.

Data of the phone numbers revealed the pair were staying at an address in Surrey Quays, London.

At the time, McCallum was on an electronic tag curfew, which required him to be at the address between 9pm and 7am.

On the morning of September 25 2020, a warrant was executed at the property where McCallum and Seedat were discovered asleep on two sofas that had been pushed together to form a bed.

Three mobile phones, including the two handsets used to contact the child, were seized from the address and the couple was arrested.

Seedat was searched at police custody and officers found she had concealed 14 wraps of heroin and one wrap of crack cocaine.

In an interview, McCallum attempted to distance himself from the Surrey Quays address by claiming his friend let him stay there and that “lots of people come and go”.

Seedat responded “no comment” to all questions put to her in interview but just before its conclusion stated, “I’m not involved in trafficking”.

McCallum, 28, appeared at Inner London Crown court where he pleaded not guilty to conspiracy to supply heroin and crack cocaine.

Seedat, 27, also appeared at the same court and pleaded not guilty to conspiracy to supply heroin and crack cocaine and two counts of possession of Class A drugs with intent to supply.

Following a two-week trial ending on May 26, both were found guilty on all counts and sentenced today for a combined 12 years.

McCallum was sentenced to nine years' imprisonment, and Seedat for three years and six months.

Detective Superintendent Gareth Williams from BTP said: “Sadly, it is not uncommon for drug suppliers to use children to transport drugs on the railway.

“The 13-year-old boy my team successfully safeguarded is the youngest we’ve encountered being exploited – we routinely come across teenagers in our work.

“McCallum and Seedat are a callous pair of criminals who controlled a child for their own financial gain. I hope their adequately strong sentences serve as a stark warning to offenders – we will catch you and put you behind bars.

“If you spot the signs of child exploitation on the railway network, I urge you to report it to us by texting 61016 or calling 0800 40 50 40. No report is too small or too trivial.”