Dealers linked to Albanian gangsters jailed for total of 99 years after drug ring smashed
A multi million pound cocaine ring in which West Midlands drug dealers joined forces with Albanian gangsters lay in ruins as its members started prison sentences totalling more than 99 years today.
The racket stretched from London, through the Midlands to Cornwall before it was smashed by police who made 13 arrests and seize hauls of drugs worth up £500,000 each, a judge heard.
A dozen of those involved were each locked up for between 15 years six months and three years four months but Khalad Uddin - the 'spider at the centre of the web' - will not be sentenced until June 9.
He was jailed for 14 years earlier this month at Wolverhampton Crown Court for the purchase of two 9mm handguns which were recovered when detectives swooped minutes after the deal was completed in a Kingswinford supermarket car park.
The five-strong West Midlands gang - also based in and around Kingswinford - paid around £35,000 a kilo of cocaine from the Albanians that made over £100,000 when sold in street deals, explained Mr Amjad Malik, QC, prosecuting.
Craig Davies, their 29 year old leader, was in regular contact with Uddin and continued to buy drugs despite knowing his right-hand-man and close friend David Stokes had been held by police.
Mr Malik observed: "The business and commercial benefits were such that less than three weeks later he was ensuring a further delivery was made." The first arrests were made around two months before the ring was wound up.
The cocaine - up to 90 per cent purity - came a kilo at a time from London in cars with purpose built hiding places behind registration plate and under seats. Cash payments never took place at the same time and were often staggered during six months of police surveillance until December last year.
Officers could not keep watch full-time because of the cost but got evidence of up to 17 drug drops although they believe the true number could have been much greater.
This included similar deals struck through Uddin between the Albanians and other crime groups in Cornwall and Maidenhead, Berkshire, the last of which saw a single £500,000 delivery of cocaine seized by police. Two men involved in that were among those jailed.
Judge Murray Creed said: "This was a sophisticated enterprise involving many people at different levels and meetings throughout the UK and in Spain, mainly involving the Black Country group working out of the Dudley area.
"There were frequent drug deals brokered by Uddin and supplied by the Albanian group. There was a pyramid structure with him at the top, not necessarily acting alone. It was persistent and did not stop when arrests were made."
Davies, from Willow Rise, Brierley Hill, who had a previous conviction for conspiracy to supply class A drugs, was jailed for 15 years six months.
Right-hand-man Stokes, a 31 year old electrician and father of two with several deliveries of a kilo of cocaine made to his home in Tennyson Way, Kidderminster, was sentenced to 14 years six months
Mr Lee Marklew, defending, conceded: "He and Davies were partners. They are close friends and he had full knowledge of what was going on."
He recruited long-time friend James Bishop, a 33 year old electrician from Vicarage Road, Stourbridge, who went to Oxford to meet Uddin on three occasions for exchanges of either drugs or cash.
Bishop was paid up to £600-a-time, said his barrister Mr Ashraf Khan, who added: "He walked into this without appreciating the serious of what he was doing." He was jailed for eight years.
Cocaine addict Jamie Green had a kilo of cocaine stuffed up his tracksuit top and was wearing surgical gloves when police swooped moments after an exchange. He had a further £11,000 worth of cocaine in his car and £5,500 cash in his bedroom.
The 36 year old from Water Street, Kingswinford – involved in eleven of the deals – was locked up for nine years four months.
Callum Bradley, aged 30, from Ashwood Marina, Kingswinford, was drafted into the gang after the arrest of Stokes and took part in their final drug deal. He was jailed for three years eight months.
All the defendants, including 35 year old Uddin from Scholars Mews, Oxford, admitted conspiracy to supply cocaine.
Those sentenced were:
Jamie Green. 9 years 4 months.
David Stokes. 14 years 6 months.
Craig Davies. 15 years 6 months.
Callum Bradley. 3 years 8 months.
James Bishop. 8 years.
Ylber Cami. Edgware. Albanian gang leader.10 years.
Eraldo Cami, Edgware. Albanian gang. 4 years 6 months.
Emil Cami, Edgware. Albanian gang 7 years.
Louis Loveridge. Cornwall gang courier. 3 years 4 months.
Emri Kaziu. Albanian gang 4 years 6 months.
Elsid Kopani. Albanian gang 9 years.
Steven Hutcheson. Berkshire drug gang.9 years 6 months.
