Southwark Crown Court Sentencing Results

Haydar Miah, 28, was arrested in May 2025 after Bedfordshire Police suspected him of drug dealing in Luton. Officers seized over 2kg of cocaine, cannabis, ecstasy, Xanax, ketamine and £33,000 in cash. Mobile phone evidence revealed his involvement in a complex plot to import approximately 50kg of cocaine each month, routing it from Brazil through Portugal into the UK.

Federic Fagnoul masterminded a drug importation route in June 2017, flying up to 50kg of Class A cocaine per flight from Europe to Lydd airport in Kent. He used the cover story that he had been night fishing, landing his helicopter at hotel helipads before the drugs were distributed by car across the UK. Police seized the helicopter on 12 September 2017, uncovering a secret compartment under the seats filled with cocaine bags. He was sentenced at Southwark Crown Court on 23 April.

On 13 March 2018, police stopped a Ford Focus near Collingwood Road, Witham, uncovering 79 one-kilogram blocks of cocaine in four holdalls in the boot, and a further kilogram of cocaine and cash in the glovebox. A search of a property on Newlands Street found another kilogram of cocaine, a cash counting machine, and mobile phones. The total haul was estimated at £8 million. Haxhi Shehu and Fitim Prenci were both involved.

Between October 2022 and May 2024, Fuad Hussein ran a sophisticated smishing and social engineering operation targeting elderly and vulnerable banking customers. He used the alias ‘Gogetta’ on Telegram to conspire with others, sending fraudulent SMS messages claiming unknown transactions and directing victims to call a controlled number. He operated a ‘call centre’ convincing victims of internal bank fraud, keeping them on the phone for hours to manipulate transfers or hand over bank cards to couriers. He booked taxis for card collection, instructed concealment in padded bags, and used technical advice to control victims’ screens. Evidence showed crypto transactions with other suspects. Arrested in May 2024 after search warrant; estimated losses £100,000 to £500,000, all victims refunded.

Geoff Hammond stole £99,493 while working as the executive officer of the Fellowship of St John (UK) Trust Association between 29 May 2012 and August 2013. He admitted the theft on 5 August 2013 and was immediately dismissed for gross misconduct. The charity recovered all of the stolen money. Hammond was a former Labour councillor for Higham Hill ward in Waltham Forest.

George Gray, the finance director for the Prince of Wales' former charity the Foundation for Integrated Health, stole £250,000 from the charity over a period of two-and-a-half years, moving charity funds into his accounts 35 times. He was on a salary of £80,000 a year and had debts of £850,000. The fraud was discovered by auditors in April and led to the early closure of the charity. Gray admitted theft, fraud and money-laundering.