Brighton and Hove’s Community Investigations Team has successfully jailed a member of the HECTOR county line drug dealing gang after a two-year investigation into organised crime in the city. Seyed Mousavian, a 42-year-old resident of Grand Parade in Brighton, was found guilty of conspiracy to supply Class A drugs and was sentenced to ten years at Lewes Crown Court on Thursday, 23 March.
The HECTOR county line was identified as being behind the distribution of crack cocaine and heroin in Brighton and Hove. It has been reported that Mousavian is the tenth person to be jailed since the investigation started in 2020. Senior gang leaders were among those imprisoned, totaling over 64 years of imprisonment.
County lines dealing is a drug-dealing method where drugs are sold from large urban areas to smaller towns and cities. The dealers and customers are linked through mobile phone numbers, which are controlled by a distant, senior gang member in the larger urban area. However, the HECTOR line had senior members operating within Sussex, giving investigators a greater opportunity to target offenders at all levels of the hierarchy.
The HECTOR gang targeted young and vulnerable individuals through violence, exploitation, and intimidation, employing them to carry out street dealing on their behalf. The group maintained control of the money, while the higher level leaders stayed in control.
The investigation found that the HECTOR line changed phone numbers four times over four years. These numbers were found on the mobile phones of five people who died in drug-related circumstances between 2018 and 2020.
The case against the HECTOR line was built on a conspiracy charge to supply crack cocaine and heroin, which showed the gang’s organised, determined commitment to the illegal drug trade beyond the charge of possession with the intent to supply.
In passing sentence, HHJ Mooney described Mousavian as a ‘very devious man’, who made the most of the opportunity presented to him in becoming involved with the HECTOR gang.
Detective Inspector Dee Wells, of Brighton and Hove’s Community Investigations Team, said: “This significant custodial sentence is the latest step in what has been a long, complex investigation into an extremely dangerous crime gang operating in Brighton and Hove.
“Mousavian’s sentence should serve as a reminder of our ongoing commitment to disrupting drug supply in our city and protecting our communities.”
