Fifteenth member of West Sussex drug gang sentenced
The group have now been jailed for more than 90 years combined
A fifteenth member of a gang which dealt drugs across Worthing has been sentenced to jail
34-year-old Terrance White of Mill Road was given four years and 10 months behind bars at Lewes Crown Court on May 31st after pleading guilty to conspiracy to supply cocaine.
It brings the total jail time given to members of the organised crime group to more than 90 years.
Sussex Police’s Serious Organised Crime Unit (SOCU) led an investigation in the wide-scale supply of Class A and B substances in the county between March 2020 and June 2021.
A number of warrants and stop checks were executed, and cocaine and cannabis with a combined street value of £480,000 to £600,000 – and around £157,795 cash – were seized.
During this time, officers identified two local Organised Crime Groups (OCGs) who were purchasing large quantities of cocaine and cannabis from other OCGs in London, Luton and elsewhere, and selling them on for profit locally.
Through painstaking investigations and working with partners, police were able to identify a number of suspects.
14 were previously convicted and are currently serving time in prison.
One of the previous defendants – 31-year-old Ergest Tarja, of no fixed address – was sentenced to 10 years and six months’ imprisonment for conspiracy to supply cocaine and being concerned in the supply of cocaine.
However, his sentence was increased by a further two years and six months following a successful ruling by the Court of Appeal.
This takes the current jail time for those involved in the investigation, known as Operation Smith, to 90 years and four months.
Detective Constable Jon Freeman, of SOCU, said:
“This is a remarkable result which demonstrates our commitment to protecting our communities and bringing offenders to justice.
“However, our work doesn’t stop here. Our enquiries are ongoing to determine if anyone else linked to these Organised Crime Groups has committed offences, and if so, we will hold them to account.”