A gang of four men have been jailed after a missing child from Croydon was recovered after being trafficked into a drugs line which stretched from London to Dundee.

On November 14, 2022, concerns were raised by local officers regarding the disappearance of a 16-year-old child.

It was discovered that the teenager had travelled from Croydon to Dundee on November 7, 2022, and four men had also travelled to Dundee around the same time.

Officers deployed to Dundee and initiated a proactive operation in collaboration with Police Scotland.

On November 16, 2022, Ellis Davey was arrested on Strathmartine Road in Dundee, where he was found in possession of 100 wraps of crack cocaine and heroin.

Upon his arrest, Davey began yelling to alert Dylan Newman, who was located in a nearby address.

Newman was apprehended in possession of an active class A drugs line.

The address where Newman was found was found to have been "cuckooed," and the missing 16-year-old child from London was discovered there.

Cuckooing is a form of crime in which drug dealers take over the home of a vulnerable person in order to use it as a base for drug dealing, storing firearms, and other criminal activity.

In addition to the child, the police seized knives and class A drugs from the premises.

Through further investigation, the police identified an address on Monifieth Road in Dundee, where two more suspects – Malik Paul and Michael Nwadire – were arrested.

During the arrest, Paul attempted to evade the police by climbing out of a window.

A search of the address revealed additional weapons and money.

The phones recovered during the investigation provided evidence that Paul was the leader of the group, directing the other men and conducting extensive research on Dundee before traveling there.

On Tuesday, 27 June, Malik Paul, Michael Nwadire, Dylan Newman, and Ellis Davey appeared at Woolwich Crown Court for sentencing.

Malik Paul, 26, of Dynevor Road in Hackney was sentenced to five years and four months imprisonment.

Michael Nwadire, 28, of Balmore Crescent, Barnet was sentenced to three years imprisonment.

Dylan Newman, 21, of no fixed address, was sentenced to three years imprisonment.

Ellis Davey, 22, of Springfield Avenue, Merton was sentenced to three years imprisonment.

Paul and Nwadire had previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply crack cocaine and heroin at Woolwich Crown Court on March 3, 2023, while Davey and Newman entered their guilty pleas on 17 April 2023.

Detective Inspector Scott Carswell of Police Scotland’s Serious and Organised Crime Team said: “Human trafficking is a despicable crime and I acknowledge today’s sentencing.

“These types of crimes have a long term impact on the victims and we are committed to working with our partners to identify those responsible and help protect the victims.

“I would like to thank all our partners, including the Metropolitan Police for their work during this investigation.”

Detective Constable Jamie Helps from Operation Orochi, said: “This sentence sends a message to drug dealers that Op Orochi has no borders and we will work relentlessly with our colleagues across the UK to bring you to justice.

“Drugs devastate communities and destroy lives, but these men did not care about this as long as they made money.

“The public may believe that county lines does not have a wider impact on communities, but the consequences of this type of criminality should not be underestimated.”