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Two dealers who ran a cocaine delivery service in Tunbridge Wells while on bail for other drugs offences have been jailed.
Bledar Rica and Liman Dernova's operation saw users text orders and addresses to a 'customer' phone between May and November 2019.
Rica initially came to the attention of police in May 2019 after he was seen driving erratically in Southborough. He was stopped and produced a fake driving licence before suddenly fleeing on foot.
The 27-year-old was caught and within a jacket he was wearing officers discovered a deodorant bottle with six packages of cocaine concealed inside.
Days later a suspicious VW Passat was stopped by officers in Mountfield Gardens, Tunbridge Wells. The car was searched and again a deodorant bottle containing three wraps of cocaine was located. Dernova was traveling in the car and arrested.
A phone was seized which showed messages indicating the supply of drugs, using postcodes to direct runners. Dernova’s DNA was matched to both the deodorant bottle and the wraps.
Both suspects were bailed as officers sought to build a successful case, but despite this carried on offending. Rica was arrested again on 18 July 2019 when he deliberately rammed a police car which had attempted to stop him in Speldhurst Road, Tunbridge Wells. Officers had to smash a window of his car to arrest him and seized £200 in cash and a cigarette packet containing 21 wraps of cocaine. A nearby address was also searched where more cash, drugs and documents in Rica’s name were discovered.
At Maidstone Crown Court, Rica, of Mitcham, Surrey, pleaded guilty to three counts of possessing cocaine with intent to supply. He admitted further charges of dangerous driving and possessing or controlling identity documents with intent.
Dernova, 22, of Tandridge Drive, Orpington pleaded guilty to two counts of being concerned in the supply of cocaine. On Friday Rica was sentenced to five years and seven months’ imprisonment. Dernova was sentenced four years and one month.
District Commander for Tunbridge Wells, Chief Inspector Pete Steenhuis said: "Rica and Dernova were instrumental in a supply chain designed to distribute drugs to as many users as possible, however our use of both uniformed and plain clothes officers is making it very hard for criminals to operate in this town and there will be no let-up in our determination to keep these people off our streets. Remember that we also continue to need your help, so please always report any suspicious behaviour. By continuing to work together we are getting the message through to criminals that ultimately we will ensure their actions result in prison sentences."
