A man has been jailed for four years for drug offences.

Indrit Ismailaj, aged 23 and of no fixed abode, was jailed at Ipswich Crown Court following his not guilty plea and a six day trial to a sentence of four years in prison.

On Monday 29 April 2024, officers from Sentinel South team stopped a grey Mercedes GLB travelling westbound on the A14 towards Felixstowe.  The two occupants, two males were detained for section 23 of the Misuse of Drugs Act.

A search of the vehicle resulted in the seizure of a mobile phone, following examination officers found messaging consistent with an involvement in the supply of controlled drugs. A search of a flat in College Street in Ipswich recovered £6,360 in cash and a small amount of cannabis.

Analysis of the mobile phone evidence judged that Ismailaj was discussing the supply of cocaine in Ipswich, Stowmarket, Bury St Edmunds and elsewhere and the messaging included details of the recruitments of persons to carry out drug deliveries as well as arrangements for re-supplies of drugs. The rate of messaging was an average of 175 per day.

Ismailaj was subsequently charged and remanded in custody. The trial lasted six days in October, involved nine hours of expert witness evidence and the jury took less than two hours to find him guilty of being concerned in the supply of cocaine.

On 29 November, Ismailaj was sentenced to four years imprisonment for being concerned in the supply of cocaine and nine months to run concurrently for being concerned in the supply of cannabis

He was also disqualified from driving for 30 months and the court ordered the forfeiture and destruction of his mobile phone and the forfeiture of £6,360 under Sec 27 of the Misuse of Drugs Act.

The three Sentinel teams across the south, west and eastern areas of the county provide enhanced coverage of Suffolk’s road network to proactively disrupt serious and organised criminal activity as well as increase police visibility. The mobile unit disrupts criminals and protects communities across Suffolk’s road network using a variety of techniques to deal with offenders involved.

If you suspect drug activity report this via the website www.suffolk.police.uk/contact-us/report-something/report-crime, call 101, or alternatively you can contact the independent charity Crimestoppers to report anonymously – either online at www.crimestoppers-uk.org or by calling 0800 555 111.