A class A drugs supply line has been disrupted following proactive work by officers in Canterbury, resulting in a prison sentence for a local dealer.
Kristian Mata, 19, from Canterbury, admitted to being concerned in the supply of crack cocaine during a hearing at Canterbury Crown Court.
The investigation began in September 2025 when detectives identified specific mobile phone numbers connected with known drug users within the city. Enquiries quickly established that these numbers were linked to an address associated with Mata. Following further investigations, which included a thorough review of CCTV footage, officers established that the Slovakian national was the individual responsible for the communications with the drug users.
Mata was subsequently arrested on 18 September 2025 and charged the following day. After entering a guilty plea, he returned to Canterbury Crown Court on Thursday 14 May 2026, where he was sentenced to three years and four months’ imprisonment.
Investigating officer, Detective Constable Martin Aird said:
‘The harm that class A drugs cause in our communities is undisputed and their misuse often fuels exploitation, violence and wider criminality. Through proactivity and determination, this investigation has resulted in the disruption of a drugs line and a dealer brought to justice, with Mata now rightly behind bars.
‘We will never give up pursuing those involved in the supply of drugs. We are relentless in our efforts to identify, target and dismantle their criminal networks and remain committed to stamping out the misery they bring to vulnerable people and local residents.’