- More than 100 police officers seized cash and drugs in series of dawn raids
- Pictures of gang members posing with drugs and cash found on phones
- The London drug ring were arrested following a spate of violent assaults
- The five men were jailed for a total of just four and a half years
4
View
comments
A gang of drug dealers who posed for pictures with wads of cash and a large bag stuffed with cannabis have been jailed for a total of four and a half years today.
More than 100 detectives seized large quantities of cash and drugs in a series of dawn raids on 18 North Kensington homes in May, following a bloody turf war.
Mobile phones were also found containing images of the shameless gang members posing with drugs and banknotes.
These pictures of Sophian Chhayra, 24, (pictured left) holding a bag of cannabis and Zakaria Chentouf, 24, (pictured right) holding a wad of cash were found by police officers on phones seized during dawn raids
Sophian Chhayra, 24, poses with a large wad of £50 notes. The image was found on a phone seized by police
Scotland Yard detectives uncovered the ring while investigating a spate of violent attacks which had erupted in the area at the end of last year.
Officers realised the violence stemmed from a drugs war over gang territory and launched an undercover operation code-named Operation Capulet.
During the raids police found phones containing incriminating images. In one shot Zakaria Chentouf, 24, is seen perched on a bed showing off a wad several inches thick of £50 notes.
Another image shows Sophian Chhayra, also 24, grinning while holding a transparent plastic bag stuffed with cannabis to his chest.
A final picture of Chhayra shows the him clutching a large amount of £50 notes with both hands in front of his face.
All five defendants pleaded guilty to drugs offences at Isleworth Crown Court in September and were today sentenced to a total of four-and-a-half years in prison for their parts in the organised ring which dealt cannabis on the streets of Ladbroke Grove in West London.
Zakaria Chentouf, 24, (pictured left) was handed a 16 month sentence for his role in the drug ring, while Sophian Chhayra, 24, (pictured right)was sentenced to 10 months imprisonment
The court heard Fouad Soussi, aged 20, who was born profoundly deaf, was the ‘principal street dealer’ in the operation – exchanging drugs for cash in plain sight from his balcony and nearby streets, Isleworth Crown Court heard.
Defending him Alison Morgan told the judge he had become desperate to make his own money after struggling to find work because of his disability.
He was supplied the drugs by Chentouf, 24, who was described in court as the ‘head of the conspiracy’.
Ahmed Mahomud, 20, and Chhayra, acted as middlemen and runners, Tyrone Silcott, prosecuting, told the court.
All four pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply drugs last month.
The court heard a fifth man, Ahmed Mahomud’s brother Yousif, 19, was only involved as a runner in one drug deal.
He pleaded guilty to being concerned in the supply of class B drugs.
Yousif Mohamud, 19 (pictured left) was handed a 12-week sentence to be served in a young offenders’ institute, while his older brother Ahmed Mohamud, 20, (pictured right) was given 10 months inprisonment
Judge Richard McGregor-Johnson said today: ‘The evidence in this case reveals, during the period which I am concerned with, there was sustained, high level drug dealing in terms of cannabis.
He added he had ‘no doubt’ that the street dealing led to ‘violence’.
‘Also it leads to distress and concern among local residents who have to witness this sort of overt behaviour,’ said Judge McGregor-Johnson.
‘Apart from you, Yousif Mahomud, I have to sentence four of you for your respective parts in a conspiracy to supply cannabis.
‘That conspiracy was over a six week period and looking at the overall picture was a highly active conspiracy dealing to many customers each day.
Fouad Soussi, 20, was today sentenced to 15 months detention in a young offenders institute
‘I do not accept the submission made on your behalf Fouad Soussi that your role was on the borderline between lesser and significant.
‘You were pivotal in this enterprise but bearing in mind the quantity being dealt I regard the proper assessment of your role as significant.
‘Zakaria Chentouf, I take the same view of your involvement but I note the quantity of drug money found in your possession – that doesn’t happen by accident.’
Chentouf was caught with £3,000 profit from the street dealing ring.
Chhayra also played a ‘significant’ role but was slightly below his cohorts, the court heard.
‘Ahmed Mahomud you were highly active during the course of this conspiracy, at least in my view in a subordinate capacity to some of the others who have pleaded guilty to the conspiracy,’ continued the judge.
The court heard Soussi and Chhayra were of previous good character.
Addressing Chhayra, the judge said: ‘At the time you had a job which distinguishes you from everybody else in this case.
‘That is a good thing but it makes it even less understandable why you chose to get involved in this sort of enterprise – there is no reason whatsoever unless you got some sort of buzz.’
Today Soussi, from the Wornington Estate, was sentenced to 15 months detention in a young offenders institution and Chentouf, from Humber Drive in Kensal Green, was handed a 16-month prison term.
Mahomud, from St Mark’s Road in North Kensington, and Chhayra, from the Wornington Estate, were each sentenced to 10 months in prison.
Yousif, who lived with his brother, was sentenced to 12 weeks in a young offenders institute and had an eight week suspended sentence activated.
The Mahomud brothers and Chhayra walked free from court having already served nearly six months on remand.
Chentouf also pleaded guilty to handling stolen goods, possession of criminal property and possession of cocaine and was sentenced to an extra nine months.
All except Yousif Mahomud received Asbo orders banning them parts of Ladbroke Grove.
MOST WATCHED NEWS VIDEOS
MOST READ NEWS
Gang posed for selfies with wads of cash and bags of cannabis
No comments:
Post a Comment