More than 80 years for gang who imported drugs into Luton 

The head of an organised crime gang who coordinated the importation of thousands of kilos of cocaine and heroin into Luton from his Dubai home has been jailed. 

Mohammed Waqas Khan, 35, who was caught as part of an investigation by the Eastern Region Special Operations Unit (ERSOU) was jailed for a total of 27-and-a-half years on Friday (April 29).

He had based himself abroad believing he would be beyond the reach of UK police as he controlled a highly organised network of criminals, including a lieutenant, couriers, and subordinates who stored drugs and firearms.

But he was caught when he returned to his family home in Princes Avenue, Watford, during the Covid lockdown in March 2020.

That coincided with the launch of Operation Venetic, an international police campaign which uncovered thousands of message exchanges by criminals using the EncroChat communications tool.

He was identified as being behind the EncroChat handle 'Bigpablito.com', with ERSOU's detectives able to build a detailed picture of his role coordinating the OCGs activity.

In April 2020, warrants were conducted alongside colleagues from Hertfordshire Constabulary and Bedfordshire Police, leading to the simultaneous arrest of Khan, associates Mohammed Ahmed, Aris Saghir and Zakir Farid and the recovery of several kilogrammes of cocaine and heroin, cash, six firearms and 180 rounds of ammunition.

Investigators reviewing the group's communications found that, between January and April 2020, they were likely to have imported and distributed hundreds and potentially thousands of kilogrammes of illicit drugs.

Khan was found guilty of conspiracy to supply cocaine, heroin and ketamine, possession of firearms with intent to cause fear of violence and possession of ammunition.

Michael Orishadare, 31, of New Hythe Lane, Aylesford in Kent, a trusted importer of drugs who used connections in the Netherlands to import drugs into the UK, primarily through Tilbury Docks, was jailed for 24 years after being found guilty of conspiracy to supply cocaine and heroin.

The pair's jail terms bringing total sentences so far for this OCG to 83-and-a-half years. Those already sentenced include:

• Mohammed Ahmed, 39, of Avondale Road, Luton, a storekeeper who kept six handguns and 180 rounds of ammunition for the OCG as well as several kilogrammes of cocaine. He was jailed for 13-and-a-half years in November 2022.

• Mohammed Shergul Khan, 37, of Dunstable Road, Luton, a courier and storekeeper who was arrested with 23kg of cocaine and heroin and 25kg of MDMA as he waited in Luton to meet another dealer. He was jailed for 10-and-a-half years in November 2022.

• Aftab Ayub, 34, of Ascot Road, Luton, who was stopped on the M1 with 20kg of cocaine as he tried to travel to Luton. He was jailed for eight years in November 2022.

Aris Saghir, 35, of Kenilworth Road, Luton, who was Waqas Khan's lieutenant and Zakir Farid, 24, of Griffin Court, Luton, a courier used by the OCG, will be sentenced later. 

Detective Chief Inspector Steve Dowty, from ERSOU's Regional Organised Crime Unit (ROCU), said: "Today's results at court are the culmination of hundreds of hours of work from detectives, analysts, investigators, and many other specialist police colleagues.

"It is difficult to overstate the impact that dismantling this OCG will have had on our communities.

"This group of criminals imported enormous amounts of class A drugs into the UK, which will have caused widespread harm up and down the country both in terms of the medical effects of the substances as well as the wider criminality and exploitation associated with drug dealing.

"ERSOU has a wide variety of teams dedicated to targeting and apprehending those behind some of the most significant criminality in eastern England.

"Knowing that these dangerous men will be spending so long behind bars and unable to cause further damage to our communities is a positive result for everyone involved."