Drug dealer jailed after police seize £6,000 in Ipswich raid
A drug dealer who sent an average of 175 messages per day coordinating cocaine supply across Suffolk has been jailed for four years following a police operation.
The big picture: Indrit Ismailaj, 23, was found guilty of being concerned in the supply of cocaine and cannabis after a six-day trial at Ipswich Crown Court.
Why it matters: The conviction represents another success for Suffolk's Sentinel teams, which focus on disrupting organised crime across the county's road network.
How it happened:
- Police stopped Ismailaj in a grey Mercedes on the A14 near Felixstowe in April
- Officers seized his mobile phone, finding messages about drug supply
- A subsequent raid on a flat in College Street, Ipswich, uncovered £6,360 in cash and cannabis
- Analysis showed he was coordinating cocaine supply across Ipswich, Stowmarket and Bury St Edmunds
- The jury took less than two hours to reach a guilty verdict following nine hours of expert witness evidence
By the numbers:
- 4 years imprisonment for cocaine supply
- 9 months concurrent sentence for cannabis supply
- 30-month driving ban
- 175 drug-related messages sent per day on average
The bottom line: Police have secured another conviction in their ongoing efforts to disrupt drug networks in Suffolk. Ismailaj will serve four years in prison, with the court also ordering the forfeiture of £6,360 found during the investigation.
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