Crawley teenager caught with over £9,000 worth of drugs

Police were on patrol on Haslett Avenue, Crawley, in November last year when they saw three men acting suspiciously.

As they approached them, one of the men immediately ran away.

Officers gave chase and the man discarded a number of packages as he walked through a series of alleys.

He was eventually arrested and a search revealed that he was in possession of two mobile phones, one of which kept ringing.

Police backtracked and discovered approximately 100 packages of suspected Class A drugs in the alleys.

The man was identified as 18-year-old Henry Orsini, a student from Creasys Drive, Crawley.

He was arrested and a search of his home address uncovered large quantities of suspect drugs packed in bags, cases and pads.

The substances were tested and confirmed to be crack cocaine and heroin, with a drug expert putting the total value of the drugs seized at over £9,000.

Orsini was accused of being concerned about the supply of diamorphine and crack cocaine, to which he pleaded guilty.

He was sentenced to a total of 21 months in juvenile detention at Lewes Crown Court on 13 January.

The court ordered additional offenses of possession of diamorphine and crack cocaine with intent to remain on record.

The investigating officer, Detective Inspector Debbie Ricks, said: “Our investigation indicates that Orsini was heavily involved in the supply of Class A drugs in the Crawley area and it is worrying that someone at such a young age could have such a played significant roles in this crime.

“Illegal drugs cause tremendous damage to our communities and it is thanks to the instincts of our officers that a large quantity of substances has been seized and destroyed and a key player in the supply of these substances has been jailed.

“I hope this phrase will help people – especially young people – understand that involvement in the supply of drugs is a serious crime, with a significant risk of harm and a very real prospect of prosecution.”