A DRUG baron, who masterminded a drug peddling operation from a Chatham house, has today been jailed for 12 years.

Judge Adele Williams at Canterbury Crown Court told Kerone Oakley, 27, from Walthamstow, he was a ruthless and determined criminal who thought only of making a profit and manipulating people.

Oakley appeared for sentence with three others who were all arrested when police raided 9, Cromwell Terrace in May last year. Oakley had been tried at Maidstone Crown Court and convicted of conspiring to supply drugs.

Co-accused Mark Barnes, 27, who lived at the Chatham house, was jailed for nine years having admitted conspiracy.

Jailed for four years for conspiracy, was fellow Jamaican Dwayne Cameron, 21, from Leyton, who met Barnes in London and who was recruited as a helper.

Fourth man jailed was Seyi Allen, 23, whose job was sitting upstairs at the house holding 15 to 20 rocks of crack cocaine in his mouth ready to deal. He was to swallow them if the house was raided. He was jailed for 2½ years having admitted supplying Class A drugs at Medway Magistrates and been committed for sentence.

During the 27 days police kept the house under surveillance last year, they saw over 1,000 visitors in daylight hours. In the raid, officers recovered 191 deals of heroin and crack cocaine wrapped in pink toilet paper from ivy in an off-street parking area across the road.

Drugs were sometimes taken to Chatham by female "mules" and in three months up to last May, Oakley paid over £27,000 into his bank accounts.

He controlled the operation by taking the stock there and collecting the proceeds.