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The Independent
21-07-2025
- The Independent
Drug dealer texted police accidentally
Jack Johannesen, 23, from Sandy, Bedfordshire, has been sentenced to two years and 10 months in prison for drug dealing and breaching bail conditions. He was caught after mistakenly sending a group text message advertising his new drug line to the phone of a police officer who had previously been involved in his arrest. Johannesen was part of an organised crime group operating across Biggleswade and Sandy, dealing in cannabis, crack cocaine, and heroin. Police initially arrested him in October, recovering multiple phones, including one he had smashed, which revealed he had contacted over 400 numbers for drug deals. Following his re-arrest in November due to the mistaken text, officers seized more cannabis, nearly £2,000 in cash, and high-value designer goods.
Daily Mail
18-07-2025
- Daily Mail
'Loving mother' who used her children to smuggle £14.4m of cocaine into UK with luggage trick is jailed for 13 years
A 'loving mother' who used her children in a drugs plot to smuggle £14.4million of cocaine into the UK has been sentenced to 13 years behind bars. Farzana Kauser, 54, worked with an unidentified accomplice in Pakistan known as 'Uncle' to mastermind bringing 180kg of the Class A drug from Cancun, Mexico, to Birmingham Airport. A National Crime Agency (NCA) investigation revealed it was the fifth time the 54-year-old had couriered the high purity drugs into the airport between August and November last year by using her four sons, one daughter and daughter-in-law. The plot saw the offenders book short one or two-night trips to Amsterdam or Dublin, where they would travel without any luggage. They then timed their return to coincide with flights from Cancun where a corrupt insider stuffed suitcases full of the drugs onto the West Midlands-bound flights for them to retrieve at baggage collection. When arrested at the airport on November 11, 2024, Kauser claimed she was only there to collect her children, who were carrying the drugs with a street value of around £14.4million. Some of it was due to be passed to a courier from another Organised Crime Group (OCG), with the remainder taken back to Kauser's home on Waterlily Road in Manningham, Bradford, before being distributed. Kauser was today jailed for 13 years and four months at Birmingham Crown Court. Before being snared, Kauser was caught on CCTV with her children at the Cancun baggage carousel. They had received photographs of the suitcases - which were loaded unaccompanied onto the flight and packed with cocaine - from an unidentified member of the OCG. The family then walked through customs as though returning with their own bags. Her four eldest children admitted their roles in the conspiracy as well as another man who acted as a courier on behalf of another OCG. All of the below were today sentenced at court: Safa Noor, 19, from Bradford, jailed for seven years and two months Mohammed Aamir Shaffaq, 28, from Bradford, jailed for eight years and nine months Umair Mohammed, 22, from Bradford, jailed for eight years and one month Junaid Shaffaq, 33, from Bradford, jailed for ten years and nine months Khaled Abdulkawi, 36, from Halesowen, Dudley, jailed for ten years and nine months In addition, her youngest son, Hamza Shaffaq, and her daughter-in-law Sarah Hussain pleaded guilty to participating in the activities of an organised crime group. Shaffaq will be sentenced in October, while Hussain received a two year sentence, suspended for two years. Rick Mackenzie, Senior Investigating Officer at the NCA, said: 'To her friends and people who thought they knew her, Farzana Kauser was a thoughtful, loving mum who seemed very normal. 'She was very well practised in her life as a high-end cocaine trafficker and she took great pains to delete any trail of evidence. 'She led this crime group with dedication and determination, often instructing her children on how to smuggle the drugs effectively and on what techniques to employ. 'She pushed her children into huge danger and has allowed their futures to be effectively destroyed. 'Her youngest son was just 17 when he was encouraged to play a major role in couriering drugs into the country, drugs that wreck countless lives across the UK in their links to violence, addiction and other crimes. 'The NCA works side by side with partners at home and abroad to combat the threat Class A drugs pose to the UK.' Sarah Ingram from the Crown Prosecution Service said: 'This was a sophisticated and well-planned operation to flood the UK with high-purity cocaine worth millions of pounds. 'What makes this case particularly concerning is the family nature of the conspiracy, with a mother recruiting her own children to participate in serious organised crime. 'The defendants thought they had devised a foolproof method to import drugs, but thanks to the vigilance and thorough investigation by the National Crime Agency and our prosecution, their criminal enterprise was brought to an end. 'By taking this organised crime group out of action, large amounts of drugs have been removed from circulation and can no longer reach our streets.
BBC News
11-07-2025
- BBC News
Eighth defendant appears in court over fatal Talbot Green shooting
A 39-year-old woman has pleaded not guilty to murder following the death of a woman who was shot dead at a block of Penney, 40, was found seriously injured at Green Park in Talbot Green, Rhondda Cynon Taf, on 9 March and died at the Quailey-Dashper, 39, from Leicester, appeared before Cardiff Crown Court on Friday morning charged with murder and participating in the activities of an organised crime other defendants appeared in court on Monday and also pleaded not guilty all charges against them. She was told a date for a trial has been set for 20 October. She was remanded in seven other defendants who appeared in court earlier this week were:Marcus Huntley, 20, from St Mellons, Cardiff, charged with murder and participating in the criminal activities of an organised crime groupKristina Ginova, 21, from Oadby, Leicestershire, charged with murder and participating in the criminal activities of an organised crime groupJoshua Gordon, 27, from Oadby, charged with murder and participating in the criminal activities of an organised crime group, appeared from HMP BristolJordan Mills-Smith, 33, from Pentwyn, Cardiff, charged with murder and participating in the criminal activities of an organised crime groupTony Porter, 68, from Braunstone Town, Leicestershire, charged with murder and participating in the criminal activities of an organised crime groupMolly Cooper, 33, from Leicester, charged with participating in the activities of an organised crime group and having in her possession/purchasing or acquiring ammunition for a firearm without a certificateSai Raj Manne, 25, of no fixed abode appeared, via video link from HMP Hewell charged with participating in the criminal activities of an organised crime group and having in his possession/purchasing or acquiring a firearm
Irish Daily Mirror
26-05-2025
- Irish Daily Mirror
'Mr. Fishy' terrorised family during home invasion while out on bail
A violent offender who provided the getaway cars used by an organised crime gang in the attempted murder of Dublin criminal Gary Carey went on to terrorise a family during a home invasion while out on bail, a court has heard. Lawyers for Patrick Fitzgerald (48) – who is known as 'Mr Fishy' - asked the Central Criminal Court on Monday to consider the issue of totality when passing sentence, so as to ensure his prison term will not be "intolerable". Fitzgerald was initially charged with the attempted murder of Mr Carey (35) at Ballyfermot Crescent, Ballyfermot, Dublin 10 on November 17, 2021 but earlier this month pleaded guilty to facilitating a criminal organisation. The court heard today that Fitzgerald, who has 72 previous convictions, had issues with drug addiction in the past and had been a 'habitual user of cocaine'. Last February he was jailed for seven and a half years after a court heard he was part of a gang that invaded a family home in the early morning, terrorising a couple in their 70s, their daughter and a six-year-old child. Mr Carey survived the attack on his life but was subsequently fatally injured in a separate shooting seven months later. In Victim Impact Statements read to the court today on their behalf, Mr Carey's family said they had been left 'devastated' by the attempt on his life. 'In one moment, these people changed our lives forever,' his daughters Shauna and Shanice said. At a sentencing hearing on Monday, Det Sgt Ronan McDermott from Ballyfermot Garda Station told prosecuting senior counsel Ronan Kennedy that on the evening of November 17, 2021 Mr Carey was in the company of an associate at a house in Ballyfermot Crescent in Dublin. At around 7.30pm, Mr Carey left the property and got into his car but as he attempted to leave the driveway his path was blocked by a black Opel Zafira with two unidentified occupants on board. Ten shots were fired from the Zafira into the windscreen of Mr Carey's car and he sustained two gunshot wounds to his torso. The victim managed to exit the vehicle, run back through the house and climb over a wall in the rear garden of another property where he remained until gardaí and ambulance crew arrived. He was brought to St Jame's Hospital where he underwent surgery and remained in hospital until November 21. Having survived the attempt on his life, Mr Carey relocated his family to Spain where he lived for a period of time, the court heard. Following his return to Ireland there was another attempt on his life on June 24, 2022 and he died from his injuries on August 5 that year. Det Sgt McDermott confirmed to counsel that Mr Carey was known to gardai and it was believed he had 'fallen foul' of an Organised Crime Group (OCG) based in Ballyfermot who were involved in the large-scale sale, supply and distribution of drugs and serious firearm activity. The court heard that after the shooting in November 2021, the Zafira fled in the direction of Ballyfermot parade, where it was burned out. The two shooters then drove off in a gold Toyota Avensis which had been parked up at this location as a second getaway vehicle. This vehicle was subsequently found burned out in Finglas. Det Sgt McDermott said that the Zafira had been purchased through Done Deal and the seller told gardaí that the man who bought the car had arrived in a blue Audi A4. The phone used to purchase the vehicle was subsequently attributed to the defendant by gardaí. Mr Kennedy said the gold Toyota Avensis was also purchased through Done Deal and the number used to make the purchase was the same number attributed to Mr Fitzgerald. The following day, CCTV showed Fitzgerald filling up two Jerry cans at a petrol station and subsequently filling the Avensis with the fuel. Shortly after 10.30pm on the night of the shooting, the court heard CCTV footage shows Fitzgerald getting out of a taxi and into the Avensis, which is then driven away and is burned out in a laneway near the Willow's Pub in Finglas. Mr Kennedy said the defendant was involved in the purchase and storage of the cars and this was corroborated by CCTV and phone evidence. The defendant was arrested on December 17 that year and exercised his right to silence during the course of ten interviews. Det Sgt McDermott confirmed that the shooting was carried out by the crime group, who are based in Ballyfermot and are involved in the sale, supply and distribution of drugs both nationally and internationally. The group are also involved in serious firearm activity up to and including murder, the court heard. The Det Sgt also agreed with Mr Kennedy that Fitzgerald is known as 'Mr Fishy' and has a partner and four children. He said the defendant has 72 previous convictions, including aggravated burglary, false imprisonment, assault causing harm, theft, violent disorder and numerous road traffic offences. Det Sgt McDermott said Fitzgerald was sentenced to seven and a half years imprisonment in February this year in relation to the aggravated burglary, which took place in August 2023. Fitzgerald was on bail for this offence when the aggravated burglary occurred. Mr Kennedy told the court that the maximum sentence for an offence of this type is 15 years. Bernard Condon SC, representing Fitzgerald, said this would have been a complex case involving significant amounts of technical evidence. He said there was no doubt the plea of guilty was of value to the prosecution. He said his client had difficulties with drugs in the past and was brought up by his sister after both his parents died when he was a teenager. Counsel said Fitzgerald worked as a pot washer for a while before he 'began to drift' and his difficulties with drugs began in his late Condon said Fitzgerald became a 'habitual user of cocaine' and he struggled with this addiction until 2014, when he got clean and 'life went well' for a period before he relapsed in said Fitzgerald has been doing in prison and was attempting to turn his life Condon said there was no statutory requirement for the court to make the sentence consecutive to the term Fitzgerald is already serving. However, he said if the court did plan to go down this route, he asked that it consider the issue of totality. 'I would ask the court to substantially deduct from whatever the sentence is so the final sentence would not be intolerable,' he said. Ms Justice Eileen Creedon adjourned the matter to July with an address at Glenties Park in Finglas, Dublin 11, pleaded guilty that between November 11 2021 and November 18 2021, both dates inclusive, in the State, with knowledge of the existence of a criminal organisation, did participate in or contribute to activities intending to facilitate the commission by the said criminal organisation of a serious a Victim Impact Statement read to the court by Mr Kennedy on her behalf, Mr Carey's partner Nicola Doonan said her family had been 'torn apart' by the shooting and had to move from their home for their own a joint statement which was also read to the court by Mr Kennedy on their behalf, Mr Carey's daughters Shanice and Shauna Hennessey said their family had been left 'devastated' by what said those involved in the attempt on their father's life had 'gouged a hole' that would never heal.'In one moment, these people changed our lives forever,' they Carey's daughters said they now have 'pain' and 'harm' where once there was 'love and protection', adding the 'nightmares and endless tears' haven't stopped.'From that night we lost our sense of community as we no longer felt safe anywhere,' Shanice and Shauna said. 'We got nervous when cars pulled up with tinted windows…worrying will these criminals come back? Will they hurt us?'
Irish Daily Mirror
07-05-2025
- Irish Daily Mirror
Gardaí arrest two men after huge search operation targeting organised crime group
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info Get the latest Irish Mirror breaking news on WhatsApp Gardaí have arrested two men after a massive search in Dublin, Kildare and Meath targeting an organised crime group. On Wednesday morning, over 100 Gardaí conducted the search operation across Dublin and wider Eastern Region targeting an Organised Crime Group (OCG) suspected of being involved in organised prostitution and money laundering offences. The searches were conducted at several businesses and residential addresses in Dublin, Kildare and Meath. Led by Detectives from the Serious Crime Unit based at the Bridewell Garda Station in Dublin, this operation was supported by the Dublin Crime Response Team (DCRT), Garda National Protective Services Bureau, Garda National Economic Crime Bureau, Emergency Response Unit (ERU), Armed Support Unit (ASU), Garda Dog Unit as well as local teams from the Dublin North Central Crime functional areas. Gardaí said that Wednesday's activity forms part of a broader effort by An Garda Síochána to target and dismantle OCGs that are benefitting from organised prostitution. Two adult males have been arrested on foot of Court Bench Warrants, and a third adult male is currently detained in relation to the sale and supply of controlled drugs. A Garda spokesperson said that investigations are ongoing. Subscribe to our newsletter for the latest news from the Irish Mirror direct to your inbox: Sign up here.
