Five men have been convicted for their involvement in a complex county lines operation supplying class A and B drugs in Watford.
They are:
- Shakir Bugembe, aged 22, of Surrey Lane, London
- Rajwan Miah, aged 37, of Walnut Tree Road, Hounslow
- Imad Lamin, aged 21, of Eskdale Avenue, Northolt
- Jakub Hostacny, aged 22, of Arliss Court, Watford
- Rahim Ssenyonga, aged 22, of Frithwood Avenue, Northwood
Hostacny, Lamin, Miah, and Ssenyonga previously pleaded guilty to a multitude of charges relating to the supply of cannabis, cocaine, heroin, LSD and MDMA through the ‘Tony Stark line’ in Watford between April and December 2024.
Bugembe was found guilty by jury at St Albans Crown Court yesterday (Wednesday, July 30) of the following charges, also relating to the same period between April to December last year:
- Conspiracy to supply a controlled drug of class A, namely MDMA
- Conspiracy to supply a controlled drug of class A, namely cocaine
- Conspiracy to supply a controlled drug of class A, namely diamorphine (heroin)
- Conspiracy to supply a controlled drug of class A, namely LSD
- Conspiracy to supply a controlled drug of class B, namely ketamine
- Conspiracy to supply a controlled drug of class B, namely cannabis
The jury returned a guilty verdict for Bugembe after just 90 minutes of deliberation.
During his trial, the court heard how the protracted inquiry – carried out by the constabulary’s County Lines Investigation Unit – led to officers uncovering and dismantling the line’s network and seizing drugs which had an estimated street value of more than £38,000.
The investigation was first launched in August last year after police attended the Holiday Inn hotel in Watford’s Clarendon Road as part of enquiries to trace a missing teenage girl from London.
Inside the hotel room, officers found the missing teenager along with Hostacny and Lamin. A search of the room revealed 2C-B, MDMA, cannabis, LSD and cocaine, which were seized and given an estimated street value of around £2,000.
Following this, the team worked hard to secure evidence and intelligence for a series of warrants and on Wednesday, December 11, last year, they forced entry to properties in both Arliss Court in Watford and Walnut Tree Close in Hounslow, London.
Inside the Arliss Court address, they found Hostacny and Lamin, as well as £6,000 in cash and drugs paraphernalia, as well as the ‘Tony Stark’ phone number and handset.
Miah was located at the address in Walnut Tree Close, where police seized cocaine, MDMA, cannabis, THC and ketamine, all of which had an estimated street value of more than £8.500.
Later the same day, Bugembe was stopped and searched on Exchange Road in Watford, where he was found to be in possession of a drugs line phone and cash following a suspected drug deal.
A short time later, officers identified an address of interest in Sligo House, Watford, where they found and recovered more class A and B drugs in the form of crack cocaine, heroin, MDMA, ketamine, THC, cocaine, LSD and cannabis. The seizure was estimated to have a street value between £27,000 and £28,000.
Following the proactive warrant action, Hostacny, Lamin, Miah and Bugembe were all charged and remanded for class A and Class B drug supply.
On January 23, this year, police conducted a further warrant – this time at Frithwood Avenue in Northwood, where they arrested Ssenyonga on suspicion of supplying class A and B drugs. He was subsequently charged and remanded.
Detective Inspector Grant Finnie, who leads the County Lines Investigation Unit, said: “Our work to dismantle this drugs line means we have eliminated a large amount of class A and B drugs from the streets of Watford, something we’re confident will have a positive impact on the levels of associated crime in the town – and that’s exactly what we come to work for.
“It’s no secret that county lines drug gangs pose a significant threat to communities, and especially to young people and those who are vulnerable. We rely on information from the public to be our extra pairs of eyes and ears on the streets. Help us to rid your community of drugs and related crime by reporting information to us. You can help us to make a difference.”
You can report information online at herts.police.uk/report, speak to an operator in the Force Communications Room via the online web chat at herts.police.uk/contact or call the non-emergency number 101.
Alternatively, you can stay 100 per cent anonymous by contacting the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or via their untraceable online form at crimestoppers-uk.org
In an emergency, always call 999.
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