A man and woman from Kingston have been named among others as helping an Essex drug dealer try to run a crack cocaine and heroin supply business from prison.

The Essex dealer is now set to face an additional six years in prison after Essex Police managed to trace evidence back to him.

The force says it also secured a Serious Crime Prevention Order against him, which will restrict his ability to return to the same criminal activity and ensure he is closely monitored upon his release.

An Essex Police spokesperson added: "Donrico Rowe, 26, thought he could distance himself from the risky work selling harmful drugs on the streets of Essex.

"Unfortunately for him, as we had already done with each of his associates, our Operation Raptor teams tracked him down."

The force's Raptor officers work 24/7 on the issue of county lines drug dealing – a priority area for policing in Essex as it continues to tackle associated knife crime, exploitation and anti-social behaviour.

Rowe, now of HMP Highpoint, was identified as the key orchestrator of this operation during a substantial investigation into several linked drug lines selling crack cocaine and heroin in the Chelmsford and Southend areas.

He was using mobile phones from two prisons where he was held following a previous sentence, again for drug-related offending.

Messages were obtained which showed he used 'Donz' – a known nickname – to sign off when instructing and directing those lower down the chain.

The investigation began in May 2024 when Kyle Lynch, 24, was found to be carrying drug line phones.

Enquiries began to piece together the wider conspiracy.

It was established Lynch was taking orders from Rowe in the day-to-day running and oversight of the drug lines.

Further investigative work established Max Hyde, 27, of Surbiton Road, Kingston, having once shared the same wing with Rowe in prison, had also become involved in managing the operation.

A burner phone and wraps of Class A drugs seized during the operation (Credit: Essex Police)

Tiah Greenfield, 20, carried out work as a runner and a line holder, while Amber Hall, 22, allowed drugs to be stored at her address and had involvement in breaking down drugs into individual deal portions.

These co-conspirators each admitted conspiring to supply crack cocaine and heroin and were sentenced at Chelmsford Crown Court in June 2025 as follows:

• Lynch, of Widford Chase, Chelmsford, jailed for three years and nine months.
• Hyde, of Surbiton Road, Kingston-upon-Thames, jailed for three years and four months.
• Greenfield, of Surbiton Road, Kingston-upon-Thames, received a two-year detention and training order, suspended for two years, with conditions attached including unpaid work, monitoring and rehabilitation activity.
• Hall, of Hart Road, Harlow, sentenced to two years imprisonment, suspended for two years, with unpaid work, monitoring and rehabilitation activity conditions attached.