An Albanian man who was deported from the UK last year after being caught with drugs has been jailed after returning on a dinghy and dealing again.
Valentin Roci, 27, appeared at Basildon Crown Court, where he admitted possessing cocaine with intent to supply, cannabis possession, criminal property, and driving offences.
Caught in Southend Stop
On 21 March 2025, police stopped a Ford Mondeo in Southend for a missing brake light. Roci was behind the wheel despite not being insured or licensed to drive.
But Judge Shane Collery KC rejected this, saying there was no evidence to support Roci’s story.
“You were deported last year because they found you in possession of drugs. That was April — and plainly, within months, you were back in the UK.
It feels more like somebody who is doing this for money. It is plainly not conducive to the public good to have you in this country.”
Sentence and Deportation Order
Roci was sentenced to 30 months in prison and will be deported after serving his sentence.
The judge ordered the £1,195 to be donated to the Essex Community Foundation and ruled that the car be retained by police.
