Albanian Drug Dealer Jailed

An Albanian drug dealer operating across Cambridgeshire has been jailed for more than three years.

Ision Kurtzmalaj was stopped by neighbourhood police officers in High Street, Sawston, in November (2022) after recognising the grey Audi he was driving as being linked to organised crime.

They found 25 packages of cocaine hidden inside a roll-on deodorant as well as £190 stashed in the sun visor.

Kurtzmalaj told police he lived in London but after discovering the vehicle was registered to an address in Great North Road, Eaton Socon, they paid a visit and found evidence of him living there along with £405 in cash and 34 more bags of cocaine.

At Peterborough Crown Court, Kurtzmalaj, 21, of no fixed address, was sentenced to three years and two months in prison after pleading guilty to possession with intent to supply class A drugs. Upon serving his sentence he will be deported back to Albania.

PC Will Lovell, from the neighbourhood support team, said: “We believe Kurtzmalaj was part of an organised crime group which sees Albanian men come over to the UK to deal class A drugs. We’re working daily to target those who come to Cambridgeshire to deal drugs. Members of the public can help us by reporting suspicious activity. This could include vehicles coming and going, especially at night, and different people arriving at a property near you. No matter how insignificant it may seem, we want to know so we can build up a picture of what is happening.”

Meanwhile, a Cambridge drug dealer has been jailed for more than two years. 

Police on patrol in the city centre in May last year (2022) stopped Malijaar Safei in Rose Crescent after suspecting he was in possession of cannabis.

Officers searched the 22-year-old and found he was carrying £1,500 in cash as well as more than 50 wraps of class A drugs. He was arrested and released on bail.

Two months later he was stopped again in St Andrew’s Street after CCTV revealed he was suspected of dealing drugs. He was found with a further £1,000 in cash as well as some cannabis.