A gang of drug dealers who posed for pictures with wads of money and a large bag of cannabis are facing jail later today.
The five men are all from north Kensington and will be sentenced at Isleworth Crown Court. Ahmed Mahomud and Fouad Soussi, both 20, and Sophian Chhayra and Zakaria Chentouf, both 24, admitted conspiracy to supply controlled drugs, while Yousif Mahomud, 19 admitted to being concerned in the supply of Class B drugs.
At their trial in September it emerged the gang had run a drugs ring in Kensington and Chelsea until their arrests in May, as a result of a long-term operation to target gang-related youth violence and dismantle drug dealing. A court heard how the gang had posed for mobile phone photos with thousands of pounds of criminal money and illegal drugs.
Detective Constable Helen Lomas, said: "These convictions are a real win for the communities of Kensington and Chelsea and its residents who have been blighted by the intolerable annoyance of this gang. This investigation overcame some major hurdles, particularly because there was a continued wall of silence and nobody willing to come forward and speak to police about the spate of linked violence earlier this year. By securing the best evidence available with the help of the community, we have been able to bring this gang to justice.
"These individuals used their mobile phone cameras to gloat about their success in illegal trade - this pride helped secure their undoing, and these photos provided compelling evidence at court."
The police operation - codenamed 'Capulet’ - was set up in direct response to a five-month spate of violent assaults which began on December 31, 2013. Detectives quickly identified those involved were in the criminal fraternity. It also became apparent that the incidents - seven in total - were borne from territorial drugs issues between the men.
An intensive investigation, which was led by detectives at Kensington Police Station and supported by local partners, relied heavily on intelligence from the community and covert/overt tactics delivered over a five month period. This operation came to its penultimate day of action on Tuesday, May 13 when officers conducted 18 dawn raids which included the homes of the five men.
Large quantities of Class A and B drugs and cash money were seized along with mobile phones.
Four men were previously sentenced at Isleworth Crown Court on September 12 in relation to the operation. They are: Liam Hodge, 23 of Notting Hill, Dominic Joseph and Paul Hewitt, both 22 from Westminster, and Jahmal Medor-Daley, 20 of Westminster.
