More than 80 years behind bars for gang who imported drugs into Luton

Mohammed Waqas Khan, 35, was jailed for 27-and-a-half years on Friday (April 29) after the Eastern Region Special Operations Unit (ERSOU) started investigating his criminal network.

Waqas moved abroad in a bid to evade UK police, controlling a “highly organised” criminal gang from his overseas base and giving orders to his lieutenant, couriers, and other subordinates who stored drugs and firearms. He was caught when he returned to his family home in Princes Avenue, Watford, during the Covid lockdown in March 2020. At the same time, police uncovered thousands of message exchanges by criminals using the EncroChat communications tool.

Through his EncroChat handle ‘Bigpablito.com’, ERSOU’s detectives were able to build a detailed picture of Waqas Khan’s role coordinating the gang’s activity. A month later, Hertfordshire Constabulary and Bedfordshire Police searched the homes of his associates and Mohammed Ahmed, Aris Saghir and Zakir Farid were all arrested. Several kilograms of cocaine and heroin, cash, six firearms and 180 rounds of ammunition were recovered.

From the group’s communications investigators believed that, between January and April 2020, they were likely to have imported and distributed hundreds and potentially thousands of kilograms of illicit drugs. Khan was found guilty of conspiracy to supply cocaine, heroin and ketamine, possession of firearms with intent to cause fear of violence and possession of ammunition.

Michael Orishadare, 31, of New Hythe Lane, Aylesford in Kent, a trusted importer of drugs who used connections in the Netherlands to import drugs into the UK, mainly through Tilbury Docks, was jailed for 24 years after being found guilty of conspiracy to supply cocaine and heroin.

The pair’s jail terms bring total sentences so far for this organised crime gang (OCG) to 83-and-a-half years. Those already sentenced include:

Mohammed Ahmed, 39, of Avondale Road, Luton, a storekeeper who kept six handguns, 180 rounds of ammunition, and several kilogrammes of cocaine for the gang. He was jailed for 13-and-a-half years in November 2022.

Mohammed Shergul Khan, 37, of Dunstable Road, Luton, a courier and storekeeper who was arrested with 23kg of cocaine and heroin and 25kg of MDMA as he waited in Luton to meet another dealer. He was jailed for 10-and-a-half years in November 2022.

Aftab Ayub, 34, of Ascot Road, Luton, who was stopped on the M1 with 20kg of cocaine as he tried to travel to Luton. He was jailed for eight years in November 2022.

Aris Saghir, 35, of Kenilworth Road, Luton, who was Waqas Khan’s lieutenant and Zakir Farid, 24, of Griffin Court, Luton, a courier used by the OCG, will be sentenced later.

Detective Chief Inspector Steve Dowty, from ERSOU’s Regional Organised Crime Unit, said: “Today’s results at court are the culmination of hundreds of hours of work from detectives, analysts, investigators, and many other specialist police colleagues.

“It is difficult to overstate the impact that dismantling this OCG will have had on our communities. This group of criminals imported enormous amounts of class A drugs into the UK, which will have caused widespread harm up and down the country both in terms of the medical effects of the substances as well as the wider criminality and exploitation associated with drug dealing.”