In a significant crackdown on drug trafficking, two men involved in an Eastbourne drug line have received their sentences after a thorough investigation revealed their roles in a network extending from North West London to Eastbourne.
The investigation, a collaborative effort between Sussex Police’s Project ADDER team and the Metropolitan Police’s Op Orochi, unearthed seven drug lines operated by Ahmet Arslan, a 30-year-old from Clandon Gardens, London. Arslan was found to be the mastermind behind a sophisticated operation, managing drug lines from London, coordinating with couriers, and handling the financial aspects of the illicit trade.
Arslan’s counterpart in Eastbourne, 42-year-old Radovan Vukmir from Seaside Road, played a crucial part in the local distribution, facilitating drug exchanges on Arslan’s behalf. The police’s intervention in July 2023 led to coordinated raids in both Eastbourne and London, resulting in the arrest of both men and the seizure of vital evidence, including mobile phones used in the operation.
Following their arrest, Arslan and Vukmir faced charges related to the supply of crack cocaine and heroin. By January, they had both entered guilty pleas. Their day of reckoning came on a Friday in March at Lewes Crown Court, where their fates were sealed.
Arslan received a sentence of 173 weeks in prison, reflecting his central role in the operation. Vukmir, deemed to have played a lesser part and unaware of the full extent of the criminal enterprise, received a more lenient sentence of 101 weeks, suspended for 24 months.
