A drug dealer caught with 27 wraps of Class A drugs has avoided a jail spell. 

Basildon Crown Court heard how officers from the South Operation Raptor team were patrolling in the Kingswood Park area on July 30 when they spotted a known drug users.

As they continued to watch, a man on a bicycle, 20-year-old JJ Streeks approach the woman.

Suspicious that a drug deal was about to take place, the officers approached Streeks and searched him.

Hidden in Streek’s jogging bottoms they found 23 wraps of crack cocaine and four wraps of heroin.

Streeks of Clickett Hill, Basildon was charged and pleaded guilty to two counts of possession of a Class A drug with intent to supply.

He was handed down a 23-month jail term suspended for two years, was ordered to carry out 200 hours of unpaid work and was made the subject of a six-month curfew between 8pm and 5am.

Following the sentencing PC Adam Blackwell of the South Operation Raptor team said: “Streeks was clearly about to deal Class A drugs to a vulnerable member of the community.

“Drug dealers do not care about the dependencies of those they sell illegal substances to, they care only about the money.

“However Essex Police, and our Operation Raptor teams, remain committed to protecting and serving our communities and ensuring that the people intent on supplying drugs on the streets of our county are arrested and put before the courts.”

Essex Police set up Operation Raptor teams in the North, West and South of the county to tackle drug and gang-related crime.

If you have information about drug or gang-related crime in your community contact Essex Police on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Streeks was sentenced at Basildon Crown Court on Thursday 28 November.