LONDON: UK police busted a gang involving Indian-origin men that used frozen chicken consignments among their many covers to smuggle large quantities of cocaine, with their operations stretching across the UK and overseas. The gang members are now facing prison sentences ranging from two to 16 years.
At Birmingham Crown Court last week, two of the gang leaders, Maninder Dosanjh, 39, and Amandeep Rishi, 42, were sentenced to 16 years and eight months, and 11 years and two months in prison, respectively. They were convicted for their roles in the conspiracy to supply class-A drugs and money laundering.
The West Midlands Police, who led the investigation, seized 400kg of high-purity cocaine and £1.6 million in illegal cash during the operation. The drugs were transported hidden in pallets of raw chicken, part of a complex and far-reaching scheme that involved the importation, exportation, and wholesale national supply of cocaine.
Detective Chief Inspector Pete Cooke of the West Midlands Police’s Regional Organised Crime Unit (ROCU) described the gang’s activities as “sophisticated and on a commercial scale,” noting that the criminals used a network of trusted individuals and vehicles with hidden compartments to carry out their illegal trade. He estimated that the gang was responsible for smuggling over a tonne of cocaine into the UK, generating illicit profits exceeding £10 million.
Among the significant seizures were 225kg of cocaine stored in a warehouse in Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands, which was destined for export to Australia. In addition, police discovered illegal cash stashed in vehicle tyres and industrial machinery, including £500,000 hidden inside tyres and over £1 million concealed in an air compressor.
The gang communicated using the encrypted messaging platform Encrochat, which they believed was secure from law enforcement. However, the platform has since been shut down by UK investigators, who intercepted messages discussing the logistics of smuggling cocaine and handling large sums of criminal cash.
Dosanjh and Rishi were the first members of the gang to be arrested when police stopped their van in Birmingham and recovered over 150kg of cocaine hidden in frozen chicken produce. Subsequent arrests followed within 10 days in July 2020, involving gang members from Birmingham, Wolverhampton, Sandwell, Walsall, South Staffordshire, and London.
All 10 men pleaded guilty to drug smuggling offences committed between March and August 2020, and their sentences were handed down on August 20, 2024.
