County lines drug dealers Ervis Kastrati and Fatlum Dautaj, who supplied cocaine to East Herts, jailed for more than 10 years in total
Two drug dealers who were part of a network supplying cocaine to East Herts have been jailed for more than 10 years in total.
Ervis Kastrati, 31, and Fatlum Dautaj, 24, both from the Cambridge area, were among four men arrested last summer in an operation by Hertfordshire Constabulary targeting an organised county lines crime group.
The police operation followed a seven-month investigation into the supply of cocaine across East Herts, North Herts and South Cambridgeshire.
On August 8 last year, a series of warrants was executed in Cambridgeshire and Essex, during which three men were arrested.
Later in the day, a vehicle believed to be linked to organised crime was detected by an ANPR (automatic number plate recognition) camera. It was tracked from Cambs through Essex and followed by a police helicopter into London, where it was stopped and a fourth man was arrested.
Police seized £30,000 in cash, jewellery and class A drugs.
At Peterborough Crown Court last Friday (May 2), Kastrati, of Sackville Close, Cambridge, was sentenced to six years in prison and Dautaj, of Ermine Street North, Papworth Everard, was sentenced to four years and three months. Both pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply class A drugs.
Further proceedings are scheduled for later in the year, under the Proceeds of Crime Act, to recover funds made from illegal activity.
Two men, aged 31 and 26, from Saffron Walden were also arrested last August on suspicion of conspiracy to supply class A drugs and were released on police bail pending investigation. A police spokesman said: “They had no further action against them as we were unable to obtain sufficient evidence.”
Det Sgt Chris Cowell, from Hertfordshire Constabulary’s county lines investigation unit, said: “These two men ran a sophisticated network supplying class A drugs to customers in various towns across Hertfordshire and Cambridgeshire. The disruption of this will make a considerable impact on drug supply and associated crime across the area.
“County lines drug gangs pose a significant threat to communities, especially young people and those who are vulnerable. We rely on information from the public to be our eyes and ears on the streets. Help us to rid your community of drugs and related crime by reporting information about drug dealing.”
You can report information at herts.police.uk/report or speak to an operator in the force communications room via online web chat at herts.police.uk/contact. You can also call non-emergency number 101. Alternatively, you can stay 100% anonymous by contacting Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or via the independent charity’s untraceable online form at crimestoppers-uk.org.
COUNTY LINES & CUCKOOING
County lines is the name given to describe drug-dealing which involves criminal networks from urban areas expanding their activities into smaller towns and rural areas. Dealers typically use a single phone line to facilitate the supply of class A drugs to customers. The phone line is highly valuable and is protected through violence and intimidation.
County lines often involves exploiting children, as gangs use young people and those with mental health or addiction problems to transport drugs and money. These gangs establish a base in the location they are targeting, often taking over the homes of vulnerable adults by force or coercion in a practice referred to as ‘cuckooing’.
How to spot signs of cuckooing in your neighbourhood
• Lots of people coming and going from an address during the day and at night
• Suspicious smells coming from the property
• Windows covered or curtains closed all of the time
• Cars pulling up to, or near to, the house for a short period of time
• An increase in anti-social behaviour around the property.
If someone you know has a drug problem, they can get help by contacting Frank on 0800 776600 or visiting www.talktofrank.com.
