Two men have been jailed after Met detectives seized cocaine with an estimated street value of more than £14 million in west London.
Richard Johnson, 47 (27.03.76), of Foster Way, Sheffield, and Kamil Sokolowski, 33 (08.10.89), a Polish national, were sentenced at Isleworth Crown Court on Friday, 5 May.
The pair were arrested after officers witnessed a box containing some of the drugs being transferred between a lorry and a van in a slip-road near to the Target Roundabout in Northolt shortly after midnight on 25 November 2022.
The box was found to contain 20 kilograms of cocaine.
Another six boxes were found in the lorry, which had arrived in the UK through the Channel Tunnel around three hours earlier.
A total of 141 kilograms were recovered.
Johnson and Sokolowski attempted to run away but were chased by officers on foot and arrested nearby.
They were found to have been messaging on encrypted devices which they had used to arrange the handover. Johnson has travelled to London from the north of England.
Detective Constable Leon Ure, from the Met’s Specialist Crime Command, said: “I am certain these drugs would have ended up in the hands of dangerous criminal gangs and would have resulted in violent crime and anti-social behaviour.
“These men thought they have covered their tracks by using an encrypted device and by meeting at a secluded location, however we still caught them, and I hope this acts as a warning to anyone else involved in transporting and selling drugs.”
Tackling the supply of drugs isn’t something we can do alone and we need the help of communities across London.
Report information directly to police by calling 101, or contact the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111. Always call 999 in an emergency.
Sentencing details
Richard Johnson, 47 (27.03.76), of Foster Way, Sheffield, pleaded guilty at Isleworth Crown Court on 22 February 2023 to conspiracy to supply cocaine. He was sentenced to six years and nine months.
Kamil Sokolowski, 33 (08.10.89), a Polish national, pleaded guilty at Isleworth Crown Court on 5 January 2023 to conspiracy to import cocaine. He was sentenced to six years and eight months.
