Phone evidence brings down Albanian drugs gang

23 Dec 2013 02:37 PM

Seven members of an Albanian crime gang who ran a drug distribution network in London have been sentenced to a total of 73 years in prison.

The criminal network was headed by 33-year-old car wash owner Tefik Hoda, of Catherine House, Whitmore Estate, Islington, North London. 

Mobile phone analysis linked him to three separate seizures of cocaine in April and May 2013. 

Co-conspirators Daniel Hoda, 32, of St John Street, Bedford, Alket Mehmeti, 31, of Hylands Road, Walthamstow and Mariglen Masdreku, 30, of the same address, worked together to cut and distribute the cocaine sourced by Hoda.

The three men were arrested outside the Hylands Road address on 7 May 2013, shortly after officers had witnessed the handover of a box containing around six kilos of cocaine from drug courier Andrejus Gorbikas, 34, of Finch Close, Aylesford, Kent.

Inside the property, investigators found presses, rolls of packaging and other drug distribution equipment.

Lithuanian lorry driver Arunas Budrys, 45, was arrested as he handed a kilo of cocaine to another gang courier Hamit Hoti, 39, of The Causeway, East Finchley in a layby outside Bracknell on 31 May. Budrys’ fingerprints were also found on the packaging from the 7 May seizure.

Officers used phone analysis to show that gang boss Tefik Hoda had been in regular contact with other members of the network prior to their arrests. 

They compared the movement of his ‘dirty’ phones - pay-as-you-go mobiles used to coordinate drug deals and contact his gang - and linked them to the movement of a ‘clean’ contract phone, registered to Hoda’s girlfriend. 

Tefik Hoda was the last to be taken into custody in August 2013. He was arrested while using the ‘clean’ phone. 

Passing sentence, Mr Justice Rook commended officers on the presentation of the telephone evidence, describing it as “a truly impressive document, meticulously prepared.”

National Crime Agency Branch Commander Dave Shorey said:

“Tefik Hoda headed up a significant criminal operation with the ability to source and distribute large amounts of class A drugs.

“The street value of the cocaine we seized was around £1.6 million.

"Our investigation into this gang was long and painstaking, but we worked our way up the chain to the top. They are now in prison where they belong.”

Six of the group pleaded guilty to conspiring to supply class A drugs and received reduced sentences for their pleas, while Budrys was found guilty on 6 November 2013 following a trial.

On 23 December at the Old Bailey:

• Tefik Hoda was sentenced to 18 years in prison, reduced to 12 years for his guilty plea
• Daniel Hoda was sentenced to 9 years, reduced to 7 years 2 months.
• Alket Mehmeti and Mariglen Masdreku were both sentenced to 9 years, reduced to 6 years 9 months.
• Andrejus Gorbikas was sentenced to 10 years, reduced to 8 years 5 months.
• Arunas Budrys was sentenced to 9 years with no reduction.
• Hamit Hoti was sentenced to 9 years, reduced to 6 years.

An eighth member of the gang, 21-year-old Albanian national Barmir Trota from Walthamstow was given a seven year jail term for possessing cocaine with intent to supply and false ID offences in July 2013.

He was arrested following the seizure of around three kilos of cocaine in April, and had been in regular phone contact with Tefik Hoda before his arrest.