Officers have secured court orders to recover more than £150,000 from six men who were sentenced as part of a drug supply conspiracy in Dorset.
The defendants were sentenced for conspiracy to supply drugs at Bournemouth Crown Court on Friday 11 February 2022 following an investigation by detectives into an organised crime group who were reported to be involved in the large scale supply of class A drugs in the county.
Endri Kostreni, aged 31 and of Bournemouth, was sentenced to ten years in prison, Ardit Zani, aged 31 and of Bournemouth, was jailed for eight years, Agron Bendaj, 55 and of Luton in Bedfordshire, received a seven-year prison sentence and Lawan Najim, aged 27 and of Bournemouth was sentenced to six years in prison.
Andrew Doyle, aged 33 and of Christchurch, was sentenced to five years and five months behind bars and Marjus Nona, aged 25 and of Birmingham, received a jail term of three years and four months.
Evidence obtained during the operation indicated the defendants were involved in a drug supply network, facilitating the collection of cocaine in large quantities, usually kilogram blocks, from London and then taking them down to the Bournemouth area to deal in smaller quantities.
They were arrested following a day of action on Thursday 29 October 2020 after an extensive investigation by Dorset Police’s Serious Organised Crime Investigation Team (SOCIT).
After the defendants were sentenced, a Proceeds of Crime Act (POCA) application was launched by officers from Dorset Police’s Economic Crime Unit.
Nona appeared at court for a POCA hearing on Wednesday 10 August 2022 and it was ruled that the total benefit figure of his offending was £243,341.48, with an available amount of £3,759.55, which he was required to pay or serve a further prison sentence in default.
Bendaj appeared on Thursday 15 December 2022 and his benefit figure was agreed as £227,593.66 with an available amount of £4,172.16
Doyle was the next defendant to appear, on Friday 20 January 2023 he was ordered to pay an available amount of £103,942.68 after his total benefit figure was found to be £118,342.52.
Zani and Kostreni both appeared for their POCA hearings on Friday 17 February 2023. Zani’s benefit figure was set at £262,516.60 and the available amount was £2,715. Kostreni’s benefit figure was ruled to be £352,339.60 and the available amount £6,000.
At the final hearing on Friday 19 May 2023 it was ruled that the total benefit figure for Najim’s offending was £245,122 and the available amount was £49,175.
The total available figure for all the defendants was £169,764.39.
Financial Confiscation Officer Victoria Johnson, of Dorset Police, said: “The investigation by the SOCIT team resulted in these defendants receiving significant jail terms in February 2022 but our investigative efforts did not stop there.
“Officers from the Economic Crime Team have been working to compile evidence to secure financial orders against these defendants and ensure all available proceeds from their offending are seized.
“As with all Proceeds of Crime confiscation orders, the total benefit figures will also not simply go away. These offenders will be subject to reviews in the future and will still be liable to pay the remaining sums if they are found to have acquired further assets.
“Dorset Police is committed to using legislation available to us under POCA legislation to ensure that criminals are not able to walk away with the proceeds of their offending behaviour.”
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