Drugs kingpin who smuggled €95m of cocaine stamped with ‘Rolex' logo is jailed

Sunday World

11-07-2025

Redon Bushi was sentenced to 24 years and 10 months in prison.
Redon Bushi (32) of Cherry Crescent, Brentford in England, headed up a major criminal operation which distributed cocaine across the UK.
Bushi controlled a network of couriers to deliver 832 kilos of Class A drugs – worth £81m (€95m) – under the username 'Sealvermouth' on Encrochat.
Metropolitan Police detectives discovered runners would only be provided with postcodes, times and a loose description of the buyer to try and keep detectives off his tail.
But Met officers were, ultimately, able to uncover the group's lines of communication by reviewing each and every device and trawling through hours' worth of CCTV.
Using this evidence, officers stopped one of the vehicles belonging to Bushi's couriers, Ahmad Jabarkhill in June 2020 and found nearly £700,000 on him.
The Met and NCA officers also used covert tactics and intelligence to identify three more of Bushi's couriers - Arline Sida, Luke Ferguson and Kelvin Hoxha, gathering evidence to show the scale of the enterprise.
They also discovered fake identity cards were also found, as well as a van with a sophisticated concealment.
Redon Bushi
There was also a camera set up at the location where drugs were being stored so it could be remotely monitored.
Acting on this information, Sida and Hoxha were both arrested in Brentford in August 2023. Searches were carried out at the address and they were found in possession of six kilograms of cocaine.
Luke Ferguson, another member of the criminal enterprise, was then arrested at a 'safe house' in Brentford and found in possession of 72kg of cocaine, worth an estimated street value of £6.24 million.
Police and the NCA then launched a manhunt for Bushi after his team were arrested.
Kelvin Hoxha
He stayed in a series of hotels to evade officers, bought a new phone, clothing, and had more than £3,000 in cash. Whilst the manhunt was ongoing, Bushi directed others to check cameras at various addresses to identify any police attendance or surveillance.
Yesterday, he was sentenced to 24 years and 10 months in prison.
Detective Constable David Leitner, who led the investigation on behalf of the Met, said:
'This case demonstrates our relentlessness in pursuing organised crime, while utilising the unprecedented opportunity that Encrochat represent to its fullest effect.
'Bushi clearly believed that these messaging platforms protected him from law enforcement, but they only served to provide us the very evidence to convict him and his associates.
'This shows the Met's commitment to tackling offenders who are instrumental in supplying drugs to the streets of London.'
Jabarkhill pleaded guilty to the possession of criminal property at Isleworth Crown Court on July 22, 2020, and was sentenced to two years and three months in jail on the same day.
Sida, from Amersham, Buckinghamshire, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply Class A drugs on January 17, 2024 at Kingston Crown Court and was yesterday handed a sentence of 12 years and 9 months.
Hoxha, from Brentford, west London, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply Class A drugs and driving while disqualified on October 26, 2024 at Kingston Crown Court and was sentenced to 11 years and 8 months on Wednesday.
Ferguson, from Shepherd's Bush, west London, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply Class A drugs on November 21, 2024, at Kingston Crown Court and was jailed for 14 years and 5 months.