08:46 24 October 2014
The evidence was overwhelming [Photographs from Metropolitan Police]
Archant
A west London drugs gang has been busted after its idiotic members took photos of themselves posing with wads of money and bags of cannabis on their mobile phones.
The five-strong gang are all from north Kensington came to the police’s attention after seven violent assaults in the area – beginning on New Year’s Eve.
Kensington CID realised the attacks were part of a drugs war over gang territory and launched an undercover operation codenamed Operation Capulet.
After months of covert surveillance, they busted down 18 doors in dawn raids on Tuesday May 13 and arrested the five men.
At their homes, they found large quantities of Class A and B drugs including cannabis, and thousands of pounds in cash.
They also seized mobile phones that had damning evidence in the form of trophy photos where two of the gang, Sophian Chhayra and Zakaria Chentouf, both 24, posed with drug money.
Sophian Chhayra has been found guilty of conspiracy to supply controlled drugs alongside Fouad Sossi, 20, and Ahmed Mahomud, 20.
Ahmed’s 19-year-old brother, Yousif Mahomud,has been found guilty of being concerned in the supply of Class B drugs.
Zakaria Chentouf, seen holding a stack of money, is guilty of conspiracy to supply controlled drugs, possession of Class A drugs, and possessing proceeds of crime in the form of cash.
Detective Constable Helen Lomas, said: “These convictions are a real win for the communities of Kensington and Chelsea and its residents who have been blighted by the intolerable annoyance of this gang. This investigation overcame some major hurdles, particularly because there was a continued wall of silence and nobody willing to come forward and speak to police about the spate of linked violence earlier this year.
“By securing the best evidence available with the help of the community, we have been able to bring this gang to justice. This individuals used their mobile phone cameras to gloat about their success in illegal trade – this pride helped secure their undoing, and these photos provided compelling evidence at court.”
Four other men have already been sentenced at Isleworth Crown Court in connection with the gang and its five month reign of terror in Kensington.
Liam Hodge, 23, of Notting Hill, will serve two years in prison for two counts of GBH. He was also given a concurrent 18-month sentence for possession of an offensive weapon (in this case, a knife) in public.
Dominic Joseph, then 21, of Westminster, received 18 months in prison for inflicting / wounding GBH, plus a concurrent 12-month sentence for possessing of an offensive weapon in public.
Paul Hewitt, then 21, of Westminster, was given a 12-month community order for a Section 4 Public Order offence of ‘using behaviour with intent to cause fear or provocation of violence’.
Jahmal Medor-Daley, 20, of Westminster, was given a 12-month community order and 120 hours of paid work for the same charge.
West London drugs gang busted after police find cannabis selfies
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