gang of drug dealers who were caught importing cocaine and cannabis into the UK within consignments of fruit have been handed jail sentences totalling more than 38 years following an investigation by the Met’s Organised Crime Command.
Four of the five men were sentenced on Tuesday, 3 January, at Isleworth Crown Court, having all previously pleaded guilty to various counts of drugs importation and drugs supply offences. The men were all identified and arrested after a proactive operation.
Detective Constable Catherine Pearson, from the Met’s Organised Crime Command, who investigated the case, said: “This police operation successfully dismantled a sophisticated crime network that was regularly importing drugs into the UK disguised as food.
“Jarnail Singh and Tazio Heath were central to this criminal network that had gone to great lengths to conceal cocaine as papaya pieces and hide cannabis inside fake yams, in a clear bid to evade detection by UK Border Force.
“The gang demonstrated their sophistication by using encrypted mobile devices in a bid to frustrate any police investigation but despite their efforts, we were still able to piece together enough evidence to leave them little choice other than to plead guilty at court.”
On 13 January 2015, officers stopped Barrington Bennett shortly after he picked up a number of boxes from a freight company in Southall. When officers seized the boxes, they found bags of dried fruit and nuts labelled ‘Fancy Island Mix’. But when the contents were forensically analysed, it was found they contained two kilograms of rocks of crack cocaine that had been coloured orange to make it look like papaya.
Officers also arrested Jarnail Singh the following day after he was seen to be in convoy with Bennett and made a delivery of several other boxes at an address in Beresford Road, N5. Officers executed a search warrant at the address in Beresford Road, where they found and arrested Luis Restrepo and discovered what turned out to be 33.8kgs of herbal cannabis disguised as yams hidden in and amongst real yams in the boxes Singh delivered.
On 7 March 2015, a further shipment of 36kgs of cannabis, again disguised as yams, was seized by Border Force officers at Gatwick airport with the intended recipient for the goods being Tazio Heath at the same Southall freight company.
Further inquiries linked Heath with Donovan Bailey, an owner of a recording studio in Reading. On 13 April 2015, officers from Thames Valley Police executed a search warrant at Bailey’s studio, where 22 rolls of herbal cannabis totalling 1.8kgs were found. Bailey was arrested and CCTV footage seized from his studios showed Bailey meeting with Heath on 25 March and 30 March 2015, where the pair can be seen exchanging large amounts of cash.
On 29 April 2015 a further 40 kilos of herbal Cannabis were seized by Border Force officers at Gatwick Airport with the intended recipient again being Tazio Heath.
On 12 May 2015, Tazio Heath and Jarnail Singh were both arrested after taking possession of a further 25kgs of cannabis disguised as yams, imported from Jamaica and delivered to the same Southall freight company the day before.
Detective Sergeant Nicola Hawkins, of the Organised Crime Command, said: “I am extremely proud of the diligence and professionalism of my team that has resulted in the sentences handed down today. Working with our colleagues from Thames Valley Police and UK Border Force we have stopped the activities of this gang and prevented a large amount of drugs from being sold on the streets of London.”
All five men were subsequently charged with various drugs offences in May 2015 and pleaded guilty to the offences below and sentenced at Isleworth Crown Court:
Jarnail Singh, 39, (08.10.77), a company director of New Gun Wharf, E3 and Clayhall Avenue, Ilford was sentenced to a total of 19 years’ imprisonment having pleaded guilty to conspiracy to importing Class A and B drugs.
Tazio Heath, 24, (12.06.92), an electrician of Turkey Street, Enfield pleaded guilty to conspiracy to import Class A and B drugs and conspiracy to supply Class B drugs and was sentenced to a total of seven years’ imprisonment.
Luis Restrepo, 40 (23.11.76), unemployed of Beresford Road, N5 pleaded guilty to possession of cocaine with intent to supply and conspiracy to supply Class B drugs and was sentenced to seven years’ imprisonment.
Donovan Bailey, 50, (09.09.66), a recording studio owner of Palmer Park Avenue, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply Class B drugs and was sentenced to two years imprisonment.
Barrington Bennett, 58, (07.08.58), a painter and decorator of no fixed address pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply Class B drugs and was sentenced on 2 December 2016 to three years and nine months’ imprisonment.
A woman, Kamla Jalaf (25.03.59) of Clayhall Avenue, Ilford, was charged in May 2015 in connection with this investigation with possession of criminal property but charges were later discontinued.