Ringleaders from multi-million pound Bucks drug gang given lengthy jail sentences

Members of a Bucks-based gang that trafficked kilos of cocaine, heroin and methamphetamine have been jailed for a total of 108 years and two months.

High Wycombe-based ring leaders Sandeep Rao, 47, and Shazhad Hussain, 50, led the multi-million-pound business, controlling a national supply network of class A drugs.

They negotiated the purchase and sale of drugs on a commercial scale using encrypted EncroChat phones which they believed could not be intercepted by law enforcement agencies.

Members of the organised crime group (OCG) operated from a safe house in Rutland Street, High Wycombe.

Inside the property drugs were stored and vast quantities of money were counted on three cash counting machines.

A courier service was used to mask the movement of the drugs with secret compartments being installed into vehicles hiding drugs and money, while women drove the vehicles transporting the contraband, as they are less likely to be stopped.

The South East Regional Organised Crime unit began its investigation into the OCG in April 2020 after international law enforcement accessed the encrypted phone network and provided UK authorities with data obtained from EncroChat devices.

Edwin Kapoor, 48, deputised for Rao and Hussain, arranging drug supplies, cash collections and payments for drivers. Raj Seechurn, 41, was one of the group’s couriers who made multiple journeys across the UK every week; on 14 May 2020 police in West Yorkshire stopped him and seized seven kilos of cocaine with a street value of over £250,000.

Hardev Thind, 44, was a courier and also helped launder the proceeds of the drug sales.

Azher Hussain, 53, had a significant role in laundering, counting and caretaking the cash at the safe house, while Angela Harvey, 39, was involved to a lesser extent in these activities.

Iain Harper, 33, was a regional dealer who bought drugs from the group and supplied them to users.

Following their arrests in 2020, Rao, Hussain, Kapoor, Seechurn, Thind, and Harper were all charged with conspiracy to supply class A drugs. Along with Azher Hussain and Angela Harvey, they were also charged with possessing criminal property.

All the group members pleaded guilty to the charges brought against them.

Lawyer Rebecca Waller for the Crown Prosecution Service said: “This multi-million pound drug conspiracy involved a national network dealing in more than 1,000 kilos of cocaine and 50 kilos of heroin, handling £23 million in proceeds from their crimes.

“The Crown Prosecution Service and the police painstakingly built a case using evidence from phone messages and photos, CCTV, phone location data and account ledgers to prove each member’s involvement in this major drug trafficking operation.

“The result is that a significant national drug network has been dismantled, and those who ran it are now in jail where they can no longer supply dangerous drugs that destroy lives.”

Rao was sentenced to 24 years and two months in prison, after pleading guilty to one count of conspiracy to supply class A drugs and one count of conspiracy to possess criminal property.

Shazhad Hussain was sentenced to 23 years and seven months in prison, after pleading guilty to two counts of conspiracy to supply class A drugs and one count of conspiracy to possess criminal property.

Seechurn, was sentenced to seven years and six months in prison, after pleading guilty to one count of conspiracy to supply class A drugs.

Thind, was sentenced to 14 years and two months in prison, after pleading guilty to three counts of conspiracy to supply class A drugs and one count of conspiracy to possess criminal property.

Kapoor, was sentenced to 18 years and 11 months in prison. after pleading guilty to two counts of conspiracy to supply class A drugs and one count of conspiracy to possess criminal property.

Harper, was sentenced to 15 years and nine months in prison, after pleading guilty to two counts of conspiracy to supply class A drugs and one count of conspiracy to possess criminal property.

Azher Hussain, was sentenced to four years and one month in prison, after pleading guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess criminal property.

Harvey, was sentenced to 20 hours of community service and 15 months disqualification from driving, after pleading guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess criminal property.