14 men jailed for a total of 60 years for their involvement in an Organised Crime Group – Milton Keynes

Following an investigation by Thames Valley Police’s Serious and Organised Crime Unit, 14 men who were part of an organised crime group have been brought to justice over the past two years, with 60 years in jail time handed out.

Following a proactive investigation, the Drugs and Serious Organised Crime Unit identified a Western Balkans group of men who operated six drugs lines throughout the Milton Keynes area, selling Class A drugs, namely cocaine, thousands of times each month to hundreds of customers from April 2022 to November 2023.

On 7 July 2023, six men - Emiljano Bardhi, Eris Diva, Lorenc Kola, Admir Lala, Argys Hoxha and Romarjo Agolli - were arrested for conspiring to supply class A drugs where 1.5kg of cocaine was seized, as well as drugs paraphernalia and nearly £10,000.

 On 21 November 2023, a further eight men from Milton Keynes, London and Sheffield were arrested for conspiring to supply class A drugs. These men were Festim Pisli, Zeqir Pisli, Mevlan Pisli, Leonsio Cara, Arnaldo Dedja, Burim Selita, Laers Katana and Jozef Perzefi.

During the arrests on 21st November, half-a-kilogram of cocaine, drugs paraphernalia and nearly £50,000 were seized.

Zeqir Pisli, aged 30 of Aylesbury Street, Wolverton, Milton Keynes, was sentenced to a total of 13 years and eight months’ imprisonment on Friday 20 December in a hearing at Southwark Crown Court. Pisli was previously found guilty of conspiring to supply a controlled drug of class A, namely cocaine, by unanimous jury verdict after a five week trial at Aylesbury Crown Court concluding on 12 June this year.

In the same hearing on Friday 20 December seven other defendants were sentenced, including:

• Festim Pisli, aged 36, of Hale Avenue, Stony Stratford, Milton Keynes, was sentenced to ten years and three months’ imprisonment. It’s after he pleaded guilty to a count of conspiracy to supply a controlled drug of class A, namely cocaine, at Aylesbury Crown Court on 9 February this year.
• Arnaldo Dedja, aged 33, of James Walton View, Halfway, Sheffield, was sentenced to five years and eight months’ imprisonment. Dedja pleaded guilty to a count of conspiracy to supply a controlled drug of class A, namely cocaine, at Aylesbury Crown Court on 9 January this year.
• Burim Selita, aged 27, of Palmers Road, Arnos Grove, London, was sentenced to five years and seven months’ imprisonment. Selita pleaded guilty to a count of conspiracy to supply a controlled drug of class A, namely cocaine, at Aylesbury Crown Court on 22 November last year.
• Laers Katana, aged 22, of Culmstock Close, Emerson Valley, Milton Keynes, was also sentenced to five years and seven months’ imprisonment. He pleaded guilty to a count of conspiracy to supply a controlled drug of class A, namely cocaine, at Aylesbury Crown Court on 9 February.
• Mevlan Pisli, aged 39, of Barnsbury Gardens, Newport Pagnell, Milton Keynes, was sentenced to four years and two months’ imprisonment. He was found guilty of a count of conspiracy to supply a controlled drug of class A, namely cocaine, by majority jury verdict after a five week trial at Aylesbury Crown Court concluding on 12 June this year.
• Jozef Perzefi, aged 21, of Glazier Drive, Neath Hill, Milton Keynes, was sentenced to three years’ imprisonment. Perzefi previously pleaded guilty to a count of conspiracy to supply a controlled drug of class A, namely cocaine, at Aylesbury Crown Court on 9 February.
• Leonsio Cara, aged 28, of no fixed abode, was also sentenced to three years’ imprisonment. He previously pleaded guilty to a count of conspiracy to supply a controlled drug of class A, namely cocaine, at Aylesbury Crown Court on 12 March this year.

Others in the organised crime group were sentenced at an earlier hearing on 25 January this year at Aylesbury Crown Court.

• Eris Diva, aged 24, of Stratford Road, Wolverton, Milton Keynes was sentenced to three years imprisonment. Diva pleaded guilty to a count of conspiracy to supply a controlled drug of class A, namely cocaine, at Aylesbury Crown Court on 8 September 2023.
• Emiljano Bardhi, aged 19, of Cleavers Avenue, Conniburrow, Milton Keynes, was sentenced to two years and three months’ imprisonment. Bardhi pleaded guilty to a count of conspiracy to supply a controlled drug of class A, namely cocaine, at Aylesbury Crown Court on 8 September 2023.
• Romarjo Agolli, aged 27 of Church Street, Wolverton, Milton Keynes and Admir Lala aged 43 of Dyers Mews, Neath Hill, Milton Keynes, were each sentenced to 18 months’ imprisonment. They each pleaded guilty to a count of conspiracy to supply a controlled drug of class A, namely cocaine, at Aylesbury Crown Court on 8 September 2023.
• Ergys Hoxha, aged 20, of Beadlemead, Netherfield, Milton Keynes, was sentenced to 18 months’ imprisonment. Hoxha pleaded guilty to a count of conspiracy to supply a controlled drug of class A, namely cocaine, at Aylesbury Crown Court on 20 October 2023.
• Lorenc Kola, aged 30, of Beccles Drive, Barking, London, was sentenced to 16 months imprisonment. Kola pleaded guilty to a count of conspiracy to supply a controlled drug of class A, namely cocaine, at Aylesbury Crown Court on 8 September 2023

Emiljano Bardhi, Eris Diva, Lorenc Kola, Romarjo Agolli, Ergys Hoxha, and Admir Lala were charged on 8 July 2023 following their arrests.

Zeqir Pisli, Festim Pisli, Arnaldo Dedja, Mevlan Pisli, Burim Selita, Laers Katana, Jozef Perzefi, and Leonsio Cara were each arrested on 21 November 2023 and were charged the following day (22/11).

Senior investigating officer Detective Inspector Natalie Hall, of the Serious and Organised Crime Unit, said: “The work by our Serious and Organised Crime Unit to bring this organised crime group down was significant.

“A substantial policing operation took place to arrest these men who played various roles to supply cocaine on a significant scale.

“The fact that this investigation has led to 60 years’ imprisonment for 14 men is a testament to the officers who worked so hard compiling evidence and seeing justice over a two-year period.

“We will continue to work with our partners and other agencies to bring to justice such groups, who seek only to make money from the production and distribution of illegal drugs, which bring misery and violence to others.”

AP

UPDATE (1/1): Updated to amend date Arnaldo Dedja was arrested and to include Festim Pisli custody shot.