Two heroin and crack cocaine dealers have been jailed after police intercepted a teenage boy they were using to deliver the drugs.

Officers stopped the 14-year-old in Gillingham in May 2020 after he was spotted supplying drugs in the Livingstone Road area.

He was found to have 38 wraps of crack cocaine and heroin ready to sell.

A phone seized revealed he had received 142 calls directing him where to supply the drugs.

The force's county lines and gangs team examined the data on the device which led them to focus their search on two men.

The first, Kieran Appiah, 21, who lives in Stretham, was found at a property in Gillingham. He was using the home of a vulnerable adult to use the house as a base for his drug dealing; a practice known as cuckooing.

Despite attempting to evade arrest, he was captured by officers as he attempted to flee the scene.

Muhammed Khan-Brown, 19, was arrested at his home in Stretham by officers from the Met Police the following day. He also attempted to make a break for it by jumping out a window and attempting to climb over a fence, but was caught by a constable. Drugs were found at his property.

Appearing before Maidstone Crown Court this week, Appiah admitted conspiring to supply heroin and crack cocaine and two counts of robbery. He was sentenced to two-and-a-half years’ imprisonment. The robbery took place in Hillyfields Park, Gillingham, on October 5, 2019 and led to a bike and a coat being stolen from different teenage boys.

Khan-Brown admitted conspiring to supply heroin and crack cocaine, possessing heroin and crack cocaine with intent to supply and possessing criminal property, namely cash obtained from drug dealing. He was sentenced to a total of three years.

Action was not taken against the 14-year-old boy, as police said "it was clear that he was being exploited by organised criminals". Instead, officers worked with partner agencies to ensure he was supported and safeguarded from further harm.

Detective Constable Mark Donovan, investigating officer in the case, said: "These two offenders have shown they have no qualms about exploiting vulnerable people to make money.

"Thankfully the actions of our vigilant officers on the street helped us identify them and ensure that those being used were protected from further harm.

"We will never stop patrolling the streets and looking for signs of drug dealing. When we come across evidence of offending, we will always use the full remit of our powers to put an offender before the court and ensure they face justice."