West Hampstead boss of 'AJ line' cocaine and heroin network jailed
Zac Patterson, of Iverson Road, Camden, was jailed for more than seven years for his involvement in a Welwyn Hatfield drugs network - Credit: Hertfordshire Constabulary
A county lines drugs network boss has been jailed for more than seven years.
Zac Patterson, of Iverson Road, West Hampstead, Camden appeared at St Albans Crown Court on February 22 after pleading guilty to conspiring to supply class A drugs.
Hertfordshire Constabulary said the 28-year-old was arrested for running a drug supply network from north London into Welwyn Hatfield between August 2020 and January 2021.
The force said the county line, known as the AJ line, was responsible for supplying crack cocaine and heroin.
Detective Ch Insp Mark Clawson said: “Patterson ran the AJ line, which supplied drugs into the Welwyn Hatfield area. The disruption of this line will make a significant impact on drug use and associated crime in the county."
He said the exploitation of vulnerable people is just one of the "tragic symptoms of organised drug gangs".
"County lines dealers can coerce people into providing a base for dealers to operate or to act as distributers themselves," he said.
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"They often use young people to handle drugs and money, drawing them deeper into gang affiliation that often leads to violence and abuse.”
