A man described as the 'kingpin' of a multi-million pound cocaine gang has been sentenced to 13 years in prison. Helios Nanaj, 37, of Smugglers Way, Wandsworth, London, was found guilty at Gloucester Crown Court of importing and supplying Class A drugs.
Judge Rupert Lowe labelled Nanaj the 'big boss' and 'chief organising mind' of the operation. Gloucestershire Police said the prosecution was the force's largest and had significantly impacted local crime levels.
Nanaj, originally from Albania, entered the UK illegally at age 15. He ran a criminal network importing hundreds of kilograms of cocaine, distributing them via couriers and safe houses across Gloucestershire and beyond.
Police uncovered the network after arresting a local dealer with 2kg of cocaine. This led to an EncroChat phone that identified Nanaj as the upstream supplier. Messages on his phone showed he was teaching other dealers how to set up importation businesses.
Detective Inspector Matt Phillips said Nanaj likely supplied over 500kg of cocaine and once complained he could not move £1.6m abroad. Nanaj claimed he was being used to hold phones for others, but jurors rejected this and convicted him.
