Organised crime group sentenced to 15 years for cannabis supply conspiracy

Five men who admitted conspiring to supply wholesale quantities of cannabis from Northampton to Buckinghamshire and Essex have been jailed for a total of more than 15 years.

In December 2022, police officers from the East Midlands Special Operations Unit (EMSOU) began investigating the activities of a group of men suspected of being involved in the supply of the Class B drug within Northampton and beyond.

Their work revealed how the group was selling to organised crime contacts in Milton Keynes and Essex, with multiple shipments of up to 10kg of the illegal drug handed over in cardboard boxes and plastic bags.

The Northampton group was headed by Fjoraldo Lazaj, aged 26, also known as Fjori, who arranged the sales with his criminal contacts.

Lazaj then organised handovers of the cannabis in Northampton, as well as deliveries out of county, carried out by his associates Almano Dano, aged 33, Denis Mukaj, aged 27, and Aldi Mukaj, aged 33.

On June 18, 2022, police stopped a car on the M1 and arrested Dano after discovering four bags of cannabis totalling 10kg in the vehicle, with an Essex postcode programmed into the sat-nav.

Four mobile phones were also found which contained information relating to the cultivation and sale of cannabis.

As the conspiracy was unravelled, the rest of the group were arrested and all went on to be charged with conspiracy to supply a Class B drug (cannabis) between December 30, 2021, and June 18, 2022.

A fifth man, Mohamoud Ahmed, aged 29, of Sorrell Drive, Newport Pagnell, was identified as the Milton Keynes buyer working with the Northampton group.

He was arrested and charged with conspiracy to supply a Class B drug (cannabis), possession with intent to supply Class B (cannabis) and possession of criminal property (cash).

Each man went on to plead guilty in court, and on July 23 the four men in the Northampton group appeared before Northampton Crown Court for sentencing.

Lazaj, of Raeburn Road, Northampton, was sentenced to four years and four months’ imprisonment.

Dano, of Gordon Street, Northampton, was sentenced to three years and four months’ imprisonment.

Denis Mukaj, of Bective Road, Northampton, and Aldi Mukaj, of Gladstone Road, Northampton, were both sentenced to two years and three months’ imprisonment.

On Monday, August 19, the final defendant Ahmed appeared before the same court where he was sentenced to a total of three years’ imprisonment.

Speaking afterwards, senior investigating officer Detective Sergeant Chris Sewell of EMSOU, said: “Criminal groups make enormous sums of money from the illegal cultivation and sale of cannabis, often exploiting others in the process.

“Our investigations revealed a sizeable supply network being run from Northampton and thanks to the hard work and dedication of our team, we were able dismantle this criminal enterprise and bring these men to justice.

“Tackling drug harm is a matter of priority for Northamptonshire Police and EMSOU, and I’m pleased to see custodial sentences handed down, demonstrating that such offences are also taken seriously by the courts.”