Brighton drug dealer arrested by Sussex police ahead of Pride

Elton Bakijasi, 44, was arrested and charged with possession of a Class A drug with intent to supply it.

Police stopped him at the junction of Powys Grove and Dyke Road in Brighton on August 3 last year on suspicion of using his car to deal in Class A drugs.

They noticed him kicking a “locker” in the car.

Police later found 27 bags of cocaine in the vehicle, as well as evidence that Bakijasi was using a fake Italian driver’s license.

Sussex Police Chief Inspector Andy Saville, from Brighton and Hove’s Neighborhood Policing Team, said: “Catching criminals and protecting our communities is a round-the-clock job that gets done every day of the year.

“This targeted activity combined our security preparations for Brighton Pride with an ongoing operation aimed at cutting off the supply of drugs to Brighton and Hove.

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“It was a beautiful example of combining community intelligence with enforcement and CID to remove a significant number of harmful substances, weapons and people from the streets.”

The unemployed Bakijasi, from Station Road in Portslade, was found guilty and sentenced to two years and eight months in prison. After his release, he faces deportation to Albania.

He was caught last year during a four-day campaign by Sussex Police to seize drugs, cars and cash in the run-up to Brighton Pride.