A ruthless drug network that flooded UK streets with over £13 million worth of cocaine has been smashed by the National Crime Agency and police. Several couriers were locked up after a high-tech sting brought the dealers to justice.
£13.6M Cocaine Supply Exposed
The crime syndicate operated between April and August 2022, distributing more than 170 kilograms of high-purity cocaine across the country. Using encrypted messaging platform Wickr, the gang hid behind passwords and codenames, constantly shifting meeting points at the last minute.
Key Players Caught in Dramatic Bust
- Arvinder Bains, 39, from Telford, was stopped in London on 16 June carrying 10 kilograms worth around £80,000.
- Investigators uncovered his role in supplying 22 kilograms of cocaine that very day through phone analysis.
- Shahrukh Hummayiun, 29, from Wolverhampton, was identified as the mastermind directing the operation.
- Other couriers arrested included Sindija Virse, 28, Gabriele Trinkunaite, 26, and Rubanpreet Kaur, 26.
Messages revealed the gang meticulously planned drug drops, shared vehicle details—including Bains’ Nissan X-Trail—and scouted locations in advance. One chilling order read: “Tomorrow titch no excuses… Car must be ready.”
Sentenced for Serious Organised Crime
The full gang was sentenced at Birmingham Crown Court on 23 March, receiving a combined prison term of 30 years and five months.
“This criminal enterprise was sophisticated and far reaching,” said Detective Inspector Richard Smith of the Organised Crime Partnership. “The group brazenly supplied multiple communities with dangerous class A drugs without a care for the consequences. Thanks to the work of the dedicated investigators on the OCP, we were able to dismantle this network and eliminate the risk they pose to the public.”
Organised crime bosses beware: encrypted apps can’t hide you from the police.
