Gangsters who supplied a TONNE of cocaine and laundered £24million in cash in drug-running ring jailed for 110 years

A GROUP of gangsters who supplied a tonne of cocaine and laundered £24million in cash have been locked up for 110 years.

The eight criminals had been running a massive drug ring from a small town outside London, supplying cocaine and heroine across the UK.

The gangsters have now been handed a combined jail time of more than a century.

A Buckinghamshire court heard how the group supplied 1,000 kilograms of cocaine, 50kg of heroin and laundered £24m of criminal cash between January and September 2020.

They used an encrypted communications platform to undertake the massive criminal scheme.

The gangsters were dragged before Judge Francis Sheridan at the Aylesbury Crown Court yesterday.

The hearing came after an extensive probe by the South East Regional Organised Crime Unit (SEROCU).

The head of the group, Sandeep Rao, ran their criminal operation from an apartment in High Wycombe.

The property was used to store mass amounts of cocaine, as well as millions of pounds of drug money.

The court heard how Rao was in direct contact with a supplier in Dubai, and would order multi-kilo shipments of cocaine on a weekly basis.

He would then arrange the onward supply throughout the country through a massive network of customers.

A spokesman for SEROCU told the court: "Shahzad Hussain, the right-hand man of Rao, controlled the safe house and operated high-end money counting machines in order to process the vast amounts of money being generated by the group’s extensive drugs supply.

"He oversaw a network of couriers who were dispatched on a daily basis delivering huge quantities of cocaine and collecting vast sums of money.

"Hussain was also head of the group’s heroin distribution.

"Edwin Kapoor operated as a deputy for Rao and Hussain and was involved in the supply of cocaine and heroin and assisted with the organisation, deployment and payment of couriers.

"Hardev Thind was a trusted courier of the group, responsible for conveying cocaine, heroin, MDMA and criminal money on a regular basis.

"He was also identified as being responsible for buying the money-counting equipment.

"Azher Hussain was a courier, counter and caretaker of the cash and occupied a significant role within the safe house.

"He was found to have to have laundered no less than £1 million of the proceeds from the supply of Class A drugs.

"Raj Seechurn was another courier, responsible for the transportation of wholesale quantities of drugs and cash to and from other associated organised criminals.

'PROFIT FROM OTHER'S MISERY'

"Iain Harper purchased kilo quantities of cocaine from the criminal network and arranged for their onwards distribution within Essex.

"Harper was found to have purchased at least 18 kilos from Rao’s network.

"Angela Harvey was a cash courier, conveying large sums of money between the home addresses of the organised criminal network and the safe house.

"She was found to have to have laundered £200,000 of the proceeds from the supply of Class A drugs."

The court heard how specialist officers started looking into the criminal activities in April 2020 after an encrypted communications platform was taken out in an international operation.

Data from the network, which was used by criminals worldwide to discuss illegal exploits, revealed the sheer scale of the group’s criminality.

Investigating officer Detective constable Dale Lester, of SEROCU, said: “This organised crime group operated at the highest level – with members involved in the supply of vast quantities of Class A drugs across the United Kingdom.

“While many members of the group used encrypted devices to arrange their criminal exploits, believing they would not be detected, their plans to profit from others’ misery were halted by police.

“The impact of their crimes filters through communities up and down the country as we know the devastating impact and widespread harm of drug use and addiction can have on people.

"Put simply, the actions of those who supply drugs, destroys many lives."

110 YEARS BEHIND BARS

Sandeep Rao, 47, of Berks, was sentenced to 24 years and two months’ imprisonment and was given a Serious Crime Prevention Order.

He previously admitted conspiring to supply a Class A drug – cocaine, and conspiracy to possess criminal property.

Shahzad Hussain, 50, of Bucks, was sentenced to 23 years and seven months’ imprisonment and was given a similar order for supplying a Class A drug – cocaine, conspiring to supply a Class A drug – heroin, and conspiracy to possess criminal property.

Edwin Kapoor, 48, of Ealing, was sentenced to 18 years and 11 months’ imprisonment and was given the same order.

He previously admitted to conspiring to supply a Class A drug – cocaine, conspiring to supply a Class A drug – heroin, and conspiracy to possess criminal property.

Hardev Thind, 44, of Hounslow, was sentenced to 14 years and two months’ imprisonment for conspiring to supply a Class A drug – cocaine, conspiring to supply a Class A drug – MDMA, conspiring to supply a Class A drug – heroin and conspiracy to possess criminal property.

Raj Seechurn, 41, of High Wycombe, was sentenced to seven years and six months’ imprisonment to run consecutively to the six years and six month prison sentence already imposed as part of the investigation. He admitted conspiring to supply a Class A drug.

Azher Hussain, 53, of High Wycombe, was sentenced to four years and one month imprisonment for conspiracy to possess criminal property.

Iain Harper, 33, of Essex, was sentenced to 15 years and nine months’ imprisonment for conspiring to supply a Class A drug – cocaine, conspiring to supply a Class A drug – MDMA and conspiracy to possess criminal property.

Angela Harvey, 39, of High Wycombe, was sentenced to 18 months’ imprisonment, suspended for two years along with 120 hours community service and given a 15 month driving disqualification.

She previously admitted conspiracy to possess criminal property.