Luton drug gang jailed for 56 years
Four members of an organised crime group in Bedfordshire have been jailed
Last updated 20th Jul 2021
Four members of a Luton organised crime gang which imported and sold hundreds of thousands of pounds worth of cocaine have been jailed for more than 50 years.
The Bedfordshire Police investigation seized around £250,000 worth of drugs and £150,000 in cash. The operation was launched in July 2020 as part of Operation Costello, a major Bedfordshire Police crackdown on organised crime gangs in Luton.
Between January and June 2020, detectives were able to identify Kamran Bashir, Ibraz Iqbal, Blazej Holub and Krysztof Kozon by their user names as they carried out their business on Encrochat phones, which allow encrypted communication.
In July 2020, police arrested Bashir at his place of work and found two Encrochat devices and half a kilogram of cocaine in his staff locker. When officers searched his car and home address, they discovered approximately £130,000 of cash.
Iqbal, who had already been convicted of drugs offences in 2007, was found to be sourcing drugs directly from a supplier and using nearby business premises as a base for the huge quantities of cocaine to be delivered to.
He was arrested on the same day as Bashir and approximately £20,000 of cash was seized from the business premises. Through the Encrochat messages, police were able to identify Iqbal’s supplier, which turned out to be Holub, who was importing wholesale quantities of cocaine into the UK.
In June 2020, Holub had travelled to mainland Europe via the EuroTunnel, returning from Poland to London Luton Airport in August, where he was arrested. When searched, he was found to be in possession of a Rolex watch, cash, bank cards, an iPad and a number of phones, including an encrypted device.
Kozon’s role in the ‘business’ was as a driver and custodian for Holub.
A stop and search in Hounslow led to his arrest in July 2020. Two brown taped packages with black crosses marked on them, consistent with blocks of Class A drugs, were found in the vehicle he was driving, along with four mobile phones.
When his home address was searched, police found a sports bag containing three more brown packages identical to the ones found in his car and a further five mobile phones, one of which was an encrypted device.
The five blocks of drugs were later estimated to have a combined street value of around £250,000.
All four were yesterday (Monday) sentenced to a total of 56 years and one month at Luton Crown Court:
Bashir, 37, of Stratford Road, Luton, was jailed for 16 years and three months. He pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply Class A drugs, for which he was sentenced to serve 16 years and three months, as well as possession of criminal property, for which he will serve two years and three months. These sentences will be served concurrently.
Holub, 38, of Napier Road, Luton, was also jailed for 16 years and three months. He pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply Class A drugs, which resulted in a 16 year and three month sentence, as well as pleading guilty to conspiracy to avoid prohibition on the importation of cocaine. He received a sentence of 16 years and three months for this offence, which will be served concurrently.
Iqbal, 26, of Woodland Avenue, Luton, received a sentence of 12 years and seven months, after pleading guilty to two counts of conspiracy to supply Class A drugs. He received a jail term of 12 years and seven months for both counts, which will be served concurrently.
Kozon, 42, of Hale End Road, East London, received an 11 year prison term after pleading guilty to conspiracy to supply Class A drugs, for which he was sentenced to 11 years, as well as possession with intent to supply Class A drugs. He was sentenced to seven years and eight months for this offence, which will be served concurrently.