County lines drug dealer who lived ‘lavish lifestyle’ jailed after being arrested in Peterborough

A drug dealer who lived a lavish lifestyle has been jailed after admitting his role in a ‘county line’ operating in Peterborough.

Amadu Djalo, 25, was arrested in Hampton Centre last summer after a drugs warrant revealed a significant amount of drugs, cash and assets worth an estimated £85,000 inside the flat he was living in.

On June 4 last year (2020), the northern Neighbourhood Support Team (NST), who had been building up intelligence for many months, carried out the warrant at a flat in Clayburn Road which Djalo’s girlfriend, 25-year-old Vanessa Carvalho was renting.

Inside the flat the team came across Djalo, a familiar face, who ran into the bathroom and tried to close the door on officers to keep them away from the stash of about £19,000 worth of cocaine and heroin that was hidden behind the toilet.

In total, £10,167.24 in cash was seized from the flat, including £5,117.24 in ‘loose change’, as well as heroin and crack cocaine estimated to be worth up to £35,000, designer clothing and other assets valued at up to about £40,000.

Both Djalo and Carvalho were arrested on suspicion of possession with intent to supply class A drugs, money laundering and possession of criminal property. Djalo was also arrested in connection with immigration offences.

He had been made subject of a deportation order and deported from the UK back to his native country of Portugal on April 2 2019, but within two months he had breached the order by re-entering the UK.

On July 19 2019 he was once again deported to Portugal before again returning to the UK in early 2020.

The pair, both of Clayburn Road, were charged with three counts of possession with intent to supply class A drugs (heroin, cocaine and crack cocaine), all of which Djalo admitted in court, alongside breaching a deportation order.

Carvalho denied the offences and instead pleaded guilty to a lesser offence of concealing criminal property which was accepted in court.

On Friday (July 2), they both appeared at Cambridge Crown Court where Djalo was sentenced to three years and nine months in prison. Upon serving his sentence he will be deported back to Portugal.

Carvalho, who served 26 weeks on remand in prison before being released on conditional bail earlier this year, was sentenced to a 12-month conditional discharge meaning the offence is registered on her criminal record but no further action is taken unless she commits a further offence within the 12-month period.

DC Robin Gray, who investigated the case, said: “Djalo played a significant role in the dealing of class A drugs in and out of Peterborough, being a key player in the ‘Angel’ county line.

“The warrant last summer uncovered a huge amount of evidence which proved Djalo was funding his lavish lifestyle through crime.

“I would urge members of the public to make themselves familiar with the signs of county lines drug dealing and report any concerns to us. So often we see children getting drawn in to running drugs for these dealers which often leads to further criminality and violence.”

Information about how to spot the signs of county lines drugs dealing, including how to report concerns, can be found on the force website at https://bit.ly/3qUUalK.

Inside the flat the team came across Djalo, a familiar face, who ran into the bathroom and tried to close the door on officers to keep them away from the stash of about £19,000 worth of cocaine and heroin that was hidden behind the toilet.