Two 24-year-old drug dealers from Clayhall and Woodford Green have been jailed for a total of six years and eight months between them.

Krishan Gibbons of Underwood Road, Woodford Green, was sentenced to four years at Basildon Crown Court on Friday (April 20) after admitting two charges of possessing class A drugs with intent to supply, breaching bail and driving without an MOT certificate.

His accomplice Ahmed Tahir, of Stoneleigh Road, Clayhall, was handed a 32-month sentence after also admitting two charges of class A drugs possession.

Officers from the South Operation Raptor team caught the pair after pursuing them for two-hours as they drove their car suspiciously slowly around well known drug dealing hotspots in Laindon on October 10.

Police searched the car and Tahir and Gibbons once they pulled over.

Tahir was found with three wraps of heroin, five wraps of crack cocaine and a phone containing evidence linking him to supplying of Class A drugs while Gibbons was found with £120 in cash on his person.

Officers then found another mobile phone containing evidence of drug dealing, an eight-inch lock knife and a folded lottery ticket covered in traces of cocaine stashed in the car.

Following the sentencing, investigating officer Pc Heard said: “I’m sure, like most drug dealers, Tahir and Gibbons were arrogant enough to believe they could come to Essex and deal drugs on our streets – they were wrong.

“These drug dealers forget that, just like them, we know where they ply their trade, we know the people they associate with and we know the tactics they use.

“We will continue to hunt down those who think they can come to our towns to sell drugs on our streets and we will leave no stone unturned in arresting them and putting them behind bars.”

Essex Police set up Operation Raptor teams in the North, South and West of the county to tackle drug and gang-related crime.

The judge commended PCs Adam Blackwell and Andrew Heard of the South Operation Raptor team for their “well organised investigation”.

Contact Essex Police with information on drug or gang-related crime on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111