Purshotam Dhillon, 59, a former magistrate, has been sentenced to seven years in prison for his role in a major drug dealing operation in London. Dhillon, who was a serving magistrate at the time of his arrest, allowed his position to be used to facilitate the activities of a criminal gang that operated multiple drug lines and distributed drugs worth over £100,000.
Details of the Offences
Police discovered that Dhillon had permitted a van containing substantial quantities of heroin to be parked outside his home in Lampton Avenue, Hounslow, west London. He also allowed drugs to be weighed and packaged inside his residence. Dhillon, a self-confessed drug addict, was found to have stored cash and equipment for the gang.
Detective Inspector Mark Gavin, from the Met’s Specialist Crime, said: “As a serving magistrate, Dhillon abused a position of trust in the most serious way. This case demonstrates that no-one is above the law, and those who engage in criminality will be held accountable.”
Sentencing and Co-defendants
Dhillon was among four key members of the criminal enterprise sentenced to a total of 25 years in prison on Thursday, 3 July 2025, at Croydon Crown Court. The gang leader, Hardeep Thind, also known as Harry Singh, of Wentworth Road, Southall, was sentenced to 12 years and six months in jail. Thind was already serving a 17-year sentence for conspiracy to supply heroin and cocaine, as well as possession of a prohibited automatic weapon, a Skorpion submachine gun. Despite being in custody, he continued to direct the network using a burner phone from an open prison. Following his release in October 2024, he resumed criminal activity, expanding the operation and recruiting dealers in the Hayes and Southall area.
Other Sentenced Individuals
Bikramjit Brar, 46, of Nestles Avenue, Hayes, who held and distributed drugs for the network, was jailed for three years and four months. Leandrea Lynch, 49, of Dawley Road, Hayes, received a suspended sentence of two years and six months. All four were charged with being concerned in the supply of Class A drugs, with additional offences including possession with intent to supply and possession of an offensive weapon. Thind’s sentence also included dangerous driving.
Police Investigation
The gang was dismantled by a Metropolitan Police investigation that began in January 2024. The Met team dedicated to tackling London drugs lines identified a highly active line known as “Hadi”, responsible for distributing heroin and crack cocaine to a large customer base across west London. The street value of drugs seized throughout the operation was around £174,000. Detectives analysed phone data, revealing extensive communication between network members, with Thind as the central figure.
Footage released by the Metropolitan Police shows the moment Dhillon was arrested on a bed at his home and Thind was arrested in a car. Two other men who pleaded guilty to possession with intent to supply and being concerned in the supply of Class A drugs were sentenced at Croydon Crown Court in July 2025.
