Why it matters: Hamid Gjoka, of no fixed abode, pleaded guilty at Ipswich Crown Court to drug supply and fraud offences after being stopped by officers from the Sentinel South team on 7 April.
The details: When searched, Gjoka was found with 12 small bags of cocaine, £800 in cash and an iPhone. Officers used keys found on him to trace a Wherstead Road address where they discovered a further 341 bags of cocaine and 3.8 grams of bulk cocaine.
Police also found a counterfeit Bulgarian ID card bearing Gjoka's photograph but with a different name, plus a Western Union receipt showing the fake identity had been used to send money to Albania in April.
The evidence: Phone records revealed Gjoka had been supplying cocaine since at least 30 March, providing prosecutors with a clear timeline of his criminal activity.
The sentence: At Ipswich Crown Court on 10 June, Gjoka received three years for possession with intent to supply cocaine and eight months consecutive for possessing fraudulent documents. He received no separate penalty for possessing criminal property.
The bigger picture: The arrest was part of work by Suffolk's three Sentinel teams, which provide enhanced coverage across the county's road network to disrupt serious organised crime and increase police visibility.
What to do: Residents can report suspected drug activity via www.suffolk.police.uk/contact-us/report-something/report-crime, call 101, or contact Crimestoppers anonymously at www.crimestoppers-uk.org or 0800 555 111.
The bottom line: Proactive policing by specialist units continues to target drug dealers operating in Ipswich, with this case showing how a routine stop can uncover significant criminal operations.
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