UK, London: At least three men of Indian origin were among ten individuals sentenced to prison terms ranging from two to 16 years in the UK for their involvement in smuggling cocaine and illegal cash. The ten-member group used vans with hidden compartments to transport millions of pounds worth of cocaine and cash across the country, including shipments concealed within pallets of raw chicken. The gang was initially arrested in July 2020.
The Indian-origin men convicted for their roles in drug and cash smuggling were Maninder Dosanjh, 39, Amandeep Rishi, 42, and Mandeep Singh, 42.
The West Midlands Regional Organised Crime Unit (ROCU) apprehended the gang, seizing 400kg of high-purity cocaine and 1.6 million in cash.
Maninder Dosanjh received a sentence of 16 years and eight months, while Amandeep Rishi was sentenced to 11 years and two months at Birmingham Crown Court for their involvement in drug trafficking and money laundering.
The gang ingeniously concealed cash in vehicle tires and industrial machinery inside vans that were disguised as mechanical service vehicles.
Additionally, the gang stored 225kg of cocaine in a warehouse in Sutton Coldfield, Birmingham, intended for export to Australia, according to West Midlands Police.
The group used an encrypted messaging app called EncroChat, believing it was secure from law enforcement. However, the app was shut down during a nationwide operation, exposing the gang's activities.
"These messages detailed the logistics, management, and delivery of up to a tonne of cocaine and substantial amounts of criminal cash, estimated to exceed 10 million, being collected or delivered nationally," stated West Midlands Police.
Detective Chief Inspector Pete Cooke from the West Midlands Police's Regional Organised Crime Unit commented, "Our extensive investigation revealed the sophisticated, commercial scale of the gang's operations, including a network of trusted individuals and a fleet of vehicles with hidden compartments."
Dosanjh and Rishi, key figures in the operation, were arrested when Birmingham officers intercepted a van carrying over 150kg of cocaine concealed within frozen chicken.
Other gang members were caught while attempting to transport large sums of cash hidden in tires and machinery.
All ten individuals were arrested within ten days in July 2020 and pleaded guilty to charges including conspiracy to supply Class A drugs, money laundering, and conspiracy to evade drug exportation laws. They were sentenced at Birmingham Crown Court on August 20, 2020, with the other members receiving sentences ranging from two years and three months to over nine years.
