Man sentenced to more than 5 years for involvement in supplying crack cocaine and heroin in Portsmouth

Samuel Tshimbalanga, 21, was part of the ‘Aiden’ drugs line and sent marketing messages out in bulk to drug users in the Portsmouth area.

The phone used to send these messages was seized by police, who stopped and searched Tshimbalanga under Section 23 of the Misuse of Drugs Act on May 18 this year.

Tshimbalanga had been concealing the device in his underwear.

Following enquiries, including an examination of the phone, Tshimbalanga was charged with two counts of being concerned in the supply of Class A drugs.

He admitted the offences when he appeared at Portsmouth Crown Court on September 22.

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Appearing at the same court today (November 16), Tshimbalanga, of no fixed abode, was jailed for 5 years and 7 months.

He was also handed an 8 month sentence, to be served concurrently, for possession of CS spray in Portsmouth on 12 August 2020.

PC Samuel Davy said: “Today’s sentence follows an investigation led by the Portsmouth Priority Crime Team into the ‘Aiden’ drug line – responsible for selling heroin and crack cocaine in Portsmouth.

“Tshimbalanga was in charge of holding the line and sending out bulk marketing messages to potential customers.

“Through intelligence gathering, Tshimbalanga was identified and subsequently stopped by officers near Winston Churchill Avenue in Portsmouth. These proactive efforts led to the recovery of a phone which was crucial in identifying Tshimbalanga’s role in the Aiden line.”

The police are encouraging anyone with information about drugs supply in their neighbourhood to report this to the police.