Derby-run drugs gang who made £400k a day is sentenced

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https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-nottinghamshire-59913673

Derby-run drugs gang who made £400k a day is sentenced

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IMAGE SOURCE,DERBYSHIRE POLICE

Image caption,

Paldip Mahngar ran the group from a terraced house in a suburb of Derby

Members of a drugs gang who imported more than £165m of cocaine into the UK have been jailed.

The Derby-based ringleader Paldip Mahngar bought around 100kg of the drug from contacts in Dubai using encrypted mobile phone messages.

Police said it was then sent across the country with the group at one point making an estimated £400,000 a day.

The 21-strong gang were sentenced after multiple trials, with Mahngar being jailed for 18 years and three months.

IMAGE SOURCE,DERBYSHIRE POLICE

Image caption,

Jaswant Kajla (l) was in charge of moving the drugs, helped by another lieutenant Ranjit Sandhu

Mahngar, 45, ran the operation from his terraced house in Willow Close, Darley Abbey.

Officers said the logistics of moving the drugs was organised by Jaswant Kajla 41, of Bluebird Drive, Coventry, who also collected money from the gang's customers.

The money was dealt with by the gang's accountant Manraj Johal, who kept detailed Excel spreadsheets that showed the incomings, outgoings, and expenses of the gang.

Using another encrypted phone Johal, 32, of Turnpike Drive, Luton, would then contact the suppliers of the drugs to update them about how much money was being made.

IMAGE SOURCE,DERBYSHIRE POLICE

Image caption,

Manraj Johal (l) was the gang's accountant and Manvir Singh headed the Derby "office"

The gang had two "offices" in Luton and Derby, with an estimated £18.6m being made by the gang between 16 March and 30 April 2020, said police.

The Derby office was run Manvir Singh, 33, (also known as Manveer Khakh) who would sort bundles of cash, assigning an individual token number to each before giving them to couriers for distribution.

Officers believe the gang's total earnings over the 408-day conspiracy to be £165,208,208.

Derbyshire Police said they were already investigating the gang when detectives were supplied with further evidence after the secure EncroChat phone system the gang were using was taken down.

The system, which was used by criminals across the world, was infiltrated by law enforcement in Europe who then passed the information to UK authorities.

IMAGE SOURCE,DERBYSHIRE POLICE

Image caption,

During one raid, police found more than £500,000 when they raided a London apartment.

Police then intercepted 7kg of cocaine being transported in Derby in April 2020.

The extent of the cash being turned over was shown in June 2020, when officers found money counter Nimrat Bahia mid-way through bundling £530k at a London apartment.

DCI Tim Walters, who led the investigation, said: "It was huge.

"We saw bags of thousands of pounds being handed over on street corners, we saw holdalls of cash being transported in taxis.

"They were using both residential and business properties as banks, which would hold between £1m - £2m at a time."

Following four trials last year, members of the gang were sentenced for a variety of counts at Derby Crown Court.

Count 1 - Conspiracy to supply cocaine

Count 2 - Conspiracy to conceal, disguise, convert or transfer criminal property

Count 3 - Conspiracy to supply heroin

Count 4 - Conspiracy to conceal, disguise, convert or transfer criminal property

Count 5 - Possession of cocaine with intent to supply

Count 6 - Possession of cannabis with intent to supply

Count 7 - Possession of false identity documents

Count 8 - Possession with intent to supply heroin

Count 9 - Possession of a stun gun

Count 10 - Possession of a smoke grenade

The defendants were:

• Paldip Mahngar, 45, of Willow Close, Derby - Count 1 and 2 - 18 years and three months.

• Jaswant Kajla, 41, of Bluebird Drive, Coventry - Count 1 and 2 - 15 years and three months.

• Manraj Johal, 32, of Turnpike Drive, Luton - Count 1 and 2 - 15 years and eight months.

• Manvir Singh AKA Manveer Khakh, 33, of of Harpur Avenue - Count 1 and 2 - 13 years.

• Ranjit Sandhu, 49, of Carrington Street, Derby - Count 1 and 2 - Six years and 10 months.

• Basharat Iqbal, 46, of Cromwell Road, Derby - Count 1 and 2 - Seven years and nine months.

• John Castledine, 63, of Harrington Street, Derby - Count 2 - Seven years and three months.

• Michael Karim, 36, of The Arena, Standard Hill, Nottingham - Count 1, 2, 7, 10 - 10 years.

• Kelly Williamson, 57, of Mansfield Road, Papplewick, Nottinghamshire - Count 1 - five years and three months.

• Joseph Davidson, 41, of Browning Street, Sunnyhill, Derby- Count 1, 3, and 5 - 10 years and two months.

• Nathaniel Collymore, 39, of Spinney Road, Burton on Trent - Count 1 and 4 - Seven years and five months.

• Mohammad Shafiq, 38, of Stenson Road, Derby - Count 1, 2 and 9 - 12 years.

• Nimrat Bahia, 26, of Black Swan Lane, Luton - Count 2 - Seven years and one month.

• Banaras Iqbal, 42, of Cromwell Road, Derby - Count 2 - Four years and nine months.

• Jermaine Callender, 44, of Westerdale, Luton - Count 3 - Three years.

• Shimei Connell, 38, of Pearson Avenue, Coventry - Count 3 and 6 - Seven years and nine months.

• Marvin Johnson, 41, of Kestrel Way, Luton - Count 3 - 11 years and six months.

• Adil Saddique, 35, of Portland Street, Derby. - Count 2 - Four years and seven months.

Three other gang members will be sentenced at a later date.

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