Drug dealer caught with heroin, crack cocaine and cannabis jailed for four years

A drug dealer who was caught with heroin, crack cocaine and cannabis has been jailed for four years.

Officers from the Force Proactive Team were out on patrol at the Morledge in Derby on Monday 4 August when they stopped a suspicious vehicle.

Officers searched those inside the vehicle and found a wrap containing cocaine, plus two bags of cocaine and heroin on one of the passengers - Joel Makombe.

A quantity of cannabis was also found in the car boot.

Makombe was arrested but gave a no comment interview and was released under investigation whilst enquiries continued. 

Several days later, on Thursday 14 August, an officer was on patrol in an unmarked police car in Wilmott Street West when he noticed Makombe on a Sur-Ron bike passing items to a group of drug users.

The officer followed Makombe and when he tried to ride off he got out of the vehicle and tackled him off the bike.

A lock knife and a quantity of drugs were recovered from him during a search.

During further examination at a police station, officers looked inside a ripped bag and found 189 small white wraps, 40 small brown wraps, 18 small rocks of suspected crack cocaine, and seven larger wraps of suspected heroin.

Officers also found 11 bags of cannabis, £415 in cash, as well as five mobile phones.

He gave a no comment interview but was charged with possession with intent to supply heroin, crack cocaine and cannabis, along with possession of a bladed article in a public place.

Makombe pleaded guilty to all charges and was given a two-year detention order, suspended for 22 months, during a court sentencing hearing on Friday 19 December last year.

On Monday 12 January, an officer was out on patrol on a cycle in Radford Street, Alvaston, when he spotted Makombe riding on a bike as it had been modified to be used via a throttle and not pedal assist.

He dropped the bike, walked off and was seen to throw a package into some bushes before running off. The package was recovered and identified to be a bag of cannabis.

Makombe was found a short while later in Allestree Close, Alvaston, and stop searched, during which officers found another quantity of cannabis, some cash and three phones.

Officers searched his property in Grosvenor Street, Allenton, and discovered more than 100 dealer bags, quantities of cannabis in bags, a bag of white powder and rocks found inside a Nike jacket and weighing scales.

During police interview, Makombe said the substances he was caught with was not his before refusing to answer any further questions.

The 19-year-old was charged with possession of heroin, cocaine and cannabis, along with possession with intent to supply crack cocaine and cannabis.

He admitted all charges and was sentenced for the offences committed on August 4 and January 12 at Derby Crown Court hearing on Friday 15 May.

Makombe was ordered to serve a total of four years in a young offenders’ institution.

Officers who worked on the investigation are from the force’s Clear Hold Build Team, Neighbourhood Enforcement Team and Heanor and Langley Mill Safer Neighbourhood Team.

Police Constable Anthony Scheck, of the Clear Hold Build Team, said: “Drug offending causes misery in our communities and tackling this issue is one our main priorities within the CHB team.

“This case in particular highlights the importance of having different policing teams working together in order to deliver justice.”

Project Flex is using the Home Office’s ‘Clear Hold Build’ framework in order to disrupt serious organised crime, reclaim and rebuild affected neighbourhoods in an area running from St Peter’s Street down towards Rosehill.

For more information about Project Flex please visit www.derbyshire.police.uk/ProjectFlex and follow our social media channels by searching the hashtag #FLEX 

Crimes can be reported to us using one of the methods below:-

• Website – We have crime reporting tools on our website: use our online contact form
• Facebook – send us a private message to the Derbyshire Constabulary Facebook page
• Phone – call us on 101 

You can also anonymously contact the independent charity CrimeStoppers, on 0800 555 111, or by visiting the CrimeStoppers website.