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A 27-year-old man has become the fourteenth person to receive jail time in connection with the supply of Class A drugs across Northamptonshire, Bedfordshire and Devon.
The investigation into the organised crime group began in 2021, when officers from the East Midlands Special Operations Unit’s (EMSOU) Regional Organised Crime Unit began investigating an organised crime gang run by Arber Alliu, aged 36, who was using his business, Bar Café Milano in Wellingborough Road, Northampton, as a front.
From it, Alliu was overseeing the sale of large volumes of cocaine to contacts in Barnstaple in Devon, as well as directly to users across Northamptonshire, with the help of trusted associates.
During the police investigation, officers painstakingly gathered evidence of the gang’s movements and dealings, identifying who was making the drug deliveries, who was buying the drugs for onward sale, and who was making regular trips to Devon where consignments of cocaine were sold to ‘downstream’ customers.
One of these trusted associates was Romarjo Kanaj, previously of Northampton, who was involved in facilitating trips to both Milton Keynes and Devon for the purposes of supplying cocaine in huge amounts.
In July, August and September 2022, the police team had gathered enough evidence to enforce against the gang, and following the execution of warrants at multiple properties across the three counties, all the conspirators, including Kanaj, were arrested.
During the raids, large seizures of cocaine and cannabis were made, along with a total of more than £110,000 in criminally obtained cash, several phones, a hydraulic press for the wholesale preparation of cocaine and an illegal CS spray branded ‘Armerican Style Nato Super Paralisant’.
Other searches uncovered designer watches including Rolex, Breitling, Versace and Tag Heuer.
At the end of last year, 13 men were jailed as part of the conspiracy at Northampton Crown Court to a collective total of 91 years in prison.
Today (February 9), Kanaj appeared at the same court, where he was jailed for 12 years for his part in the criminal enterprise.
Senior investigating officer Detective Sergeant Chris Sewell said: “I am really pleased that we have secured another jail sentence as part of this investigation and I hope it demonstrates the seriousness with which we take offences such as this.
“I would like to once again thank the team from EMSOU for their hard work, thoroughness and diligence, qualities which they have demonstrated throughout this case and the reason why it has been so successful.
“Tackling drug harm remains a matter of priority for Northamptonshire Police and I am really pleased our regional team has been able to bring down this significant criminal network.”
Sentenced at Northampton Crown Court on August 24, 2023:
1. Arber Alliu, aged 36, of Cyclamen Close, Northampton: 14 years.
2. Dritan Duka, aged 42, of Adnitt Road, Northampton: 10 years and five months.
3. Bruno Lepuri, aged 23, of Grove Road, Northampton: 10 years and 10 months.
Sentenced at Northampton Crown Court on August 25, 2023:
4. Mariglen Azizaj, aged 28, of Goldings Road, Northampton: two years and 11 months.
5. Arif Behari, aged 52, of St Johns Street, Northampton: three years and seven months.
6. Nicolajus Skolskis, aged 37, of Colindale Street, Milton Keynes: 10 years and six months.
7. Matas Svedas, aged 29, of Pascal Mews, Oakgrove, Milton Keynes: five years.
Sentenced at Northampton Crown Court on September 7, 2023:
8. Romarjo Aliraj, aged 29, of Prentice Court, Northampton: two years and eight months.
9. Bledar Hyska, aged 48, of Limestone Grove, Houghton Regis, Dunstable: four years and six months.
10. Kai Smalldon Roach, aged 29, of Meadow Brook, Roundswell, Barnstaple, Devon: seven years and six months.
11. Elis Llanaj, aged 33, of St Johns Street, Northampton: four years and 10 months.
Sentenced at Northampton Crown Court on October 20, 2023:
12. Samuel Phillips, aged 25, Park Avenue, Sticklepath, Barnstaple, Devon: nine years and six months.
13. Ionut Turca, aged 32, of Cowper Street, Northampton: four years and nine months.
A final defendant - a man aged 39, will be sentenced on a date yet to be set.