A 34-year-old Albanian man has been sentenced to 3 years in prison in Britain after police found over 27,000 pounds in cash hidden in his apartment, while the investigation revealed that he was involved in the sale of cocaine and cannabis.
Santiago Sadiku, of Vauxhall Road, Gloucester, appeared at Gloucester Crown Court on 10 September, where he pleaded guilty to being involved in the supply of cocaine and cannabis, as well as possession of criminal property worth £27,036.85.
The investigation began after a police operation on August 10 in the Barton area of Gloucester. The search of the apartment involved officers from the neighbourhood support team, the dog unit and the drone unit, and drugs and cash were seized during the operation.
Police also seized Sadik’s phone. An examination of WhatsApp messages revealed communications that, according to authorities, proved that he was selling cocaine and cannabis.
Some of the money was hidden in the attic of the flat, inside a yellow JD Sports bag, where around £20,000 in banknotes was found. Another bag was found in the bedroom with around £4,500 in British pounds and £20 in Scottish currency, while a plastic bottle also contained around £2,100 worth of coins.
According to police, the discovery of a significant amount of money, along with telephone communications and seized drugs, reinforced evidence that the 34-year-old was involved in the distribution of narcotics.
After pleading guilty to the charges, Sadiku was sentenced to 3 years in prison.
A spokesman for Gloucester and Forest Police said the sentence will mean Sadiq will no longer be able to influence the local community through his drug dealing activities, adding that authorities will continue their efforts to crack down on those involved in this activity in Gloucestershire.