Suspected trafficking victim jailed over drugs offences in Eastbourne

Romeo Vrapi received a sentence of four years and three months at Lewes Crown Court on Thursday (February 6), having been found guilty of possession of cocaine and cannabis with an attempt to supply.

The 26-year-old Albanian national told police he had been deceived to come to the UK and forced to sell drugs because of threats to his family.

Despite the Home Office agreeing Vrapi was a likely victim of trafficking for exploitation, Sussex Police said the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) took the decision to prosecute his drugs crimes out of public interest.

Vrapi was spotted by plain clothes police officers while attempting a suspected drug deal on his bike in Bourne Street on June 17 last year, according to police.

The next day he was arrested and remanded in custody.

Sussex Police said officers searched his home and found £140 in cash lying on a dressing table, £1,250 cash in a drawer, and three wraps of cocaine and two wraps of cannabis in a grey hooded top.

Inside a small black suitcase, officers also found a false ID, more than a kilogram of cannabis, and more than 170 grams of cocaine.

Sussex Police said Vrapi, an Albanian national, told investigators he had been deceived by others to come to the UK and had been further trafficked from London to East Sussex where he was compelled to sell drugs because of threats to his family.

Police said his allegations were fully investigated by East Sussex detectives in parallel with the drugs offences and his case was referred to the Home Office and Crown Prosecution Service (CPS).

Despite the Home Office issuing a decision Vrapi was likely to be a victim of trafficking for exploitation, Sussex Police said the CPS believed there were compelling reasons to prosecute the drugs crimes and that it was in the public interest to do so.

In December his case was heard and he was found guilty by a jury at Lewes Crown Court.

Vrapi was therefore sentenced on Thursday to a total of four years and three months for possession of a Class A drug (cocaine) with intent to supply, possession of a Class B drug (cannabis) with intent to supply, possession of criminal property and possessing a false identification.

Detective Constable Damien Cotgreave of the East Sussex community investigations team said, “Vrapi was found to be in possession of significant quantities of illegal substances and we have no doubt that he posed harm to our communities through the supply of drugs.

“This conviction demonstrates there are serious consequences for dealing drugs and we will not tolerate this behaviour on our streets.

“This is an example of our prevention and investigation teams working together to achieve results for East Sussex.”