County lines drug dealer caught in city jailed for four years

A county lines drug dealer who was caught red-handed in Peterborough with two burner phones has been jailed for four years.

Rytis Zerlauskas, of Brynmore in Bretton, was caught with the Nokia phones after officers went to his home on February 6.

One phone was used as a personal phone by the 19-year-old while the other was suspected to have been used to supply drugs, Peterborough Crown Court heard.

This phone had evidence of drugs supply and one message, thought to have referenced Class A drugs, was sent 92 times to multiple numbers.

Further messages received from others related to Zerlauskas ‘being on’, which is thought to relate to whether or not he was dealing drugs.

Last Thursday he pleaded guilty to two counts of being concerned in the supply of Class A drugs.

He was sentenced on the same day and was handed 36 months in a young offenders institution for the drug offences. Zerlauskas was also handed a further 12 months for breaching a suspended sentence given to him in December 2018.

He therefore received a total sentence of four years.

DC Sarah Phillips, who investigated, said: “We arrested Zerlauskas thanks to information from the community, and this case is a great example of how reporting incidents and suspicions to us really does make a difference.”

County lines refers to the dedicated mobile phones, or “lines”, used by criminals to deal drugs originating in London in other UK towns and cities.

Rytis Zerlauskas