12 jailed for huge drug conspiracy

Members of three drug gangs have been jailed for operating a 24-hour crack cocaine and heroin delivery service taking hundreds of calls a day.

The 12 men were sentenced to up to four years and three months for their roles in a conspiracy to supply drugs throughout east London.

Mobile phones used by the gangs to take orders for drugs received more than 30,000 calls in less than two months, Snaresbrook crown court heard.

Seven of the men were members of a gang calling themselves Box, four were from a gang known as Don. The final defendant was in a gang nicknamed Laguna by police because of its choice of transport.

The court heard gang members would drive to meet drug users. Each car had a driver, one person responsible for taking the money and several passengers who stored "wraps" of drugs in their mouths.

When a deal was done they would spit out the wraps and pass them to the buyer, telling them to "mouth" them immediately to avoid detection and destroy DNA evidence.

When the cars were stopped by police the suspects could swallow the drugs. The men were arrested after an undercover operation in February and March by police posing as buyers who carried concealed cameras to record evidence.

All the men pleaded guilty and were sentenced by Judge William Kennedy, who described their enterprises as "a well planned conspiracy to sell anyone of any age Class A drugs".

Of the Don gang, who received 19,000 phone calls during a two-month surveillance period, he said: "This was an enormous enterprise."

Of the Box gang, Rezaul Islam, 25, was jailed for four years and Sharif Choudhury, 21, Remo Foa, 21, and Mohammed Rhaman, 22, were each jailed for three years and nine months.

Ruhel Ahmed, was jailed for three years and six months, Abdul Salam, 21, for three years and Aminul Islam, 20, for two years and nine months.

Of the Don gang, Ruhel Miah, 24, was jailed for four years and three months, Nadimul Islam, 32, for four years and two months, Nazimul Islam, 27, for three years and nine months and Jahagir Alom, 22, for three years.

Laguna gang member Ashrathul Islam, 27, was jailed for three years and six months.

All the men are from east London except Choudhury who is from Romford, Essex.