A man has been jailed for supplying drugs to the Isle of Wight.
Gezim Bajrami, aged 26, was stopped in a car by police in Ryde on 17th February this year.
Portsmouth Crown Court heard that when officers searched the vehicle – which Bajrami was not insured to drive – they found seven bags of cocaine. Bajrami himself was also found to be under the influence of the Class A drug.
Two days later, Magistrates disqualified Bajrami from driving, while the police investigation into the drugs supply continued.
Caught driving whilst disqualified
On 6th March, Bajrami was again observed driving in the Ryde area by police. When officers stopped the car, Bajrami was found to have been smoking cannabis whilst driving, the court heard.
Searches of the vehicle led to the discovery of a package of cocaine.
Bajrami was later charged with two counts of possession of cocaine with intent to supply, two counts of driving without insurance, possession of cannabis, and driving whilst disqualified.
He pleaded guilty to all of the offences, and claimed that he had been collecting the drugs from the mainland and transporting them to the Island for a third party, for onward distribution.
Jailed for 21 months
Appearing at Portsmouth Crown Court on Monday 30th September, Bajrami was jailed for a total of 21 months, and disqualified from driving for 20 months.
The judge remarked that Bajrami had effectively been acting as a courier and would have had some understanding of the quantity of drugs being transported, noting that the quantity was ‘far from trivial’.
Wyld: There is no place for it on our Island
PC Tom Wyld, from the IOW Area Crime Team, said,
“Bajrami’s conviction and sentence comes as a result of persistent efforts by officers across numerous teams – including the Area Crime Team and neighbourhood officers – to develop drugs intelligence and relentlessly pursue those involved in supply.
“Drugs are a scourge on the community, causing untold harm and are often linked to other offences such as serious violence and anti-social behaviour.
“There is no place for it on our Island, and we encourage anyone with information about drugs supply in their neighbourhood to keep reporting this to police. Every bit of information you provide will assist us in developing the wider intelligence picture and ultimately enable us to take action against the criminals involved.”
If you have information about drugs supply in your area, you can contact police on 101, or report crime via the reporting tool.
News shared by Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary, in their own words. Ed
