Norfolk gang behind cocaine operation jailed for 60 years

The gang trafficked their wares into the region on a "commercial scale", transporting them in laundry bags.

The drugs were brought from London to Norwich and another centre of the operation, in the small coastal community of Kessingland, near Lowestoft. They were then sold on to smaller-scale dealers.

Investigations led police to seize 5kg cocaine, 52kg of herbal cannabis and £310,000 cash at locations in Norfolk and Suffolk.

Ringleader Artur Januskiewicz was jailed for 14 years 5 months (Image: Norfolk Constabulary)

Ringleader Artur Januskiewicz, 36, who was found to have in total been involved in supplying more than 26kg of cocaine, headed up an “operation of the most serious and commercial scale”, Norwich Crown Court heard.

Judge Alice Robinson said: “This was an enterprise organised by him, directing and selling on a commercial scale with an expectation of substantial financial gain 

“The evidence is that he immediately sold on the cocaine for an uplift of £12,000 on every kilo.” 

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Januskiewicz, of Verbena Road in Cringleford, was jailed for 14 years five months after admitting being concerned in the supply of Class A and B drugs.

He had arranged for large quantities of drugs to be transported into Norfolk by Edward Dygus, 44, of Redpoll Road, Costessey, who was jailed for nine years after admitting offences involving cannabis and more than nine kilos of cocaine.

Edward Dygus and Sigitas Ablonskis (Image: Norfolk Constabulary)

The court heard Januskiewicz had described Dygus and another man, Sigitas Ablonskis, as his “first lieutenants”. 

“Each was an important part of the operation and intimately involved in every aspect of it; organising and buying and selling of very substantial quantities of drugs,” said Judge Robinson.

Ablonskis, 29, of Scott Road, Norwich, was involved in supplying more than 17kg of cocaine over four months and was found with £125,000 in cash having been recorded discussing investing money into Bitcoin.

He was jailed for 11 years and three months.

Photo of 1kg block of cocaine found on a gang member's phone (Image: Norfolk Constabulary)

Another gang member used to ferry drugs and cash was Arjan Kola, 32, who is from  Bristol, who was involved in handling 5kg of cocaine and was found with more than £107,000.

He pleaded guilty to being concerned in the supply of Class A and B drugs, money laundering and refusing to give a phone PIN number to police.

Jailing him for five years and three months, Judge Robinson said: “In my judgement he was more than a mere courier and formed an operational function in the chain."

Arjan Kola, 32, Whitefield Road, Bristol, was jailed for 5 years 3 months (Image: Norfolk Constabulary)

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Among those Januskiewicz sold large quantities of drugs onto was Ben Houghton, 22, who was running his own drugs operation based in Kessingland, a small seaside village near Lowestoft. 

Houghton, of no fixed abode, was jailed for 10 years five months after admitting supplying cannabis and more than 26kg of cocaine.

Ben Houghton and Kyle Meades (Image: Norfolk Constabulary)

The pair ran a drugs operation in Kessingland, near Lowesoft (Image: Mike Page)

Kyle Meades, 22, of Marham Road, Lowestoft, who was involved in a lesser role in the Kessingland operation, was sentenced to six years and nine months.

A seventh man, Tommy Azahri, 27, of Nursery Close, Norwich, was sentenced to two years after admitting the supply of cannabis and money laundering.

'Cocaine, cash and laundry bags full of cannabis'

Police launched its operation in July 2021 when Dygus was seen in the Longwater area of Costessey, exchanging packages believed to be drugs and money with people in unknown vehicles.

Intelligence showed he also met Houghton in Kessingland several times, exchanging bags of cocaine or suitcases of cannabis.

Tommy Azahri was jailed for supply of cannabis and money laundering (Image: Norfolk Constabulary)

He was arrested at his home on July 28 after meeting Kola at Longwater. Officers found more than 3kg of cocaine and six large suitcases and a large laundry bag containing 40kg of cannabis.

During the investigation Meades was also seen meeting with Dygus, Ablonskis and Januskiewicz on several occasions.

Laundry bags full of herbal cannabis found during operation (Image: Norfolk Constabulary)

Police also seized large quantities of cash (Image: Norfolk Constabulary)

Analysis of his phones found messages about cocaine and cannabis supply and photos and videos of kilo blocks of cocaine and bundles of thousands of pounds of cash.

Detective Sergeant Eddie Hammond said: “This case shows Norfolk Constabulary’s dedication to tackling serious organised crime and disrupting those who continue to try and supply drugs in our local communities.”