Ipswich – County Lines drug dealers jailed

Ronaldo Rose & Melike McAdam

Two men from east London have been jailed for a combined total of 11 years after being convicted of supplying crack cocaine and heroin in Ipswich.

Ronaldo Rose and Melike McAdam – who are both aged 21-years-old - appeared before Ipswich Crown Court yesterday, Thursday 25 April, where they were sentenced to prison terms of seven years and four years respectively.

Rose - of Park View Gardens, Woodford Avenue, Ilford – had pleaded not guilty to the following three offences: being concerned in the supply of crack cocaine; being concerned in the supply of heroin (both between 18 August 2023 and 28 September 2023); and possession of crack cocaine with intent to supply (on 28 September 2023).

He was found guilty of all three offences by a unanimous decision on Tuesday 9 April, following a short trial. He had previously pleaded guilty to a fourth charge of obstructing a police officer.

These convictions meant that Rose had breached a suspended sentence order that he was given at Basildon Crown Court on 22 December 2022, where he had been sentenced to 24 months’ imprisonment suspended for 24 months, after admitting three charges of: offering to supply heroin; offering to supply cocaine; and possession of a knife in a public place. He activated 16 months of the suspended sentence as a result of this latest conviction.  

McAdam - of Cormorant Road in the London Borough of Newham - had previously pleaded guilty to the charges of being concerned in the supply of crack cocaine; and being concerned in the supply of heroin (both between 18 August 2023 and 28 September 2023).

The pair were both arrested in east London on 28 September last year by officers from the Metropolitan Police, following an investigation by Suffolk Police’s Serious Crime Disruption Team (SCDT).

Rose and McAdam had been working together as part of the ‘Pricey’ County Line drugs operation, which saw drugs being transported from London to Suffolk.

When officers executed a warrant under the Misuse of Drugs Act at McAdams’ home address on 28 September, he was not present at that time but Rose was found inside on the sofa.

As the address was being searched by officers, they noticed Rose was clasping something tightly in his hand. Officers attempted to prise his hand open, but he resisted and kicked-out at them. They eventually managed to open his hand to reveal five wraps of crack cocaine. McAdam returned home that night at which point he was arrested.

With assistance from the Op Orochi team at the Metropolitan Police, mobile phone data was analysed relating to numbers known to be linked to the ‘Pricey’ line, alongside Rose and McAdam’s personal numbers. This analysis proved their involvement with this County Line and their cooperation with each other, through a combination of text message content, numbers called and cell-site location data.

Detective Inspector James Cassedy, of the Serious Crime Disruption Team, said: “This court result is reflective of the seriousness of the offending of Ronaldo Rose and Melike McAdam, who worked together to supply crack cocaine and heroin to Class A drug users in Ipswich from their metropolitan base in London. 

“County Lines drug dealers are a scourge on society and prey on the most vulnerable members of our communities.  We will continue to tackle this problem and seek to bring to justice those that perpetuate this type of criminality.”