The leader of a "large scale" Maldon-based criminal operation that supplied cocaine across East and North Essex has today (Monday, 19 April) been jailed for a total of 18 years.

Passing sentence at Chelmsford Crown Court on Abdul Hamid (known locally as 'Vijay' Hamid), 34, now of HMP Chelmsford and formerly of Sassoon Way, Maldon, Judge Simon Mayo QC said: "The scale of this conspiracy was enormous.

"You were the principal in this conspiracy – it was your operation. You owned the Tariq line."

The court heard how over the course of more than three years, from January 2017 until January 2020, there were around 1,000 drugs transactions a day, bringing in an estimated £1.8 million per year and involving the sale over the whole period of around 36kg of cocaine.

Hamid, who was director of the Bengal Tiger restaurant in The Square, Heybridge, ran a number of 'front' businesses including restaurants, a textiles business, a tanning salon and an executive car hire firm to launder the illicit taking, the court heard. Large sums of the money were placed in Spanish bank accounts or physically smuggled out of the country to Tenerife, where land and property were purchased with the takings.

Hamid had previously pleaded guilty to and was today sentenced for offences including Conspiracy to Supply Class A drugs, Conspiracy to Conceal Criminal Property, possession and use of a mobile phone while in prison and serious driving offences, including dangerous driving and driving while disqualified.

Three other co-defendants were also sentenced at today's sentencing hearing, including Danielle Stevenson-Roberts, 34, of Church Street, Goldhanger. She was given an eight-year prison sentence for Conspiracy to Supply Class A Drugs and Conspiracy to Conceal Criminal Property.

Judge Mayo told Stevenson-Roberts: "You were his second in command. You were motivated by big financial gain and you benefitted from the trappings of a wealthy lifestyle."

Stevenson-Roberts was principally involved in money laundering for the business, largely through businesses in Maldon. She had a Spanish bank account and also made numerous trips to Tenerife to smuggle large sums of cash out of the UK with Hamid, who was her long-term partner.

When Hamid was incarcerated in August, 2019 she took on the role of managing the Tariq line under his direction, the court heard. The fact that she has now split from Hamid and was of previous good character was taken into consideration in mitigation.

Working alongside Stevenson-Roberts in helping to manage the business after August 2019 was Murshed Uddin, 24, of Mundon Road, Maldon, who received a prison sentence totalling seven years and three months for offences including Conspiracy to Supply Class A Drugs, Conspiracy to Conceal Criminal Property and offences related to possession and use of a mobile phone in prison.

Judge Mayo said of Uddin, who was initially recruited by Hamid as a drug runner towards the start of the three-year period: "You were motivated by financial gain and aware of the scale of the operation."

However, Uddin's age, behaviour while in prison (he now mentors other prisoners) and previous good character were taken into account as mitigating factors.

Lastly, Lloyd Bridge, 38, currently in prison, was sentenced to five years and two months imprisonment.

The sentencing of Bridge, whose main role was as a driver and who was described by the Judge as a "trusted lieutenant" of Hamid, was made more complex by his imprisonment for three years in August 2019 for drugs-related offences. In fact, these were related to his role in the wider Maldon drugs conspiracy, though police officers did not realise this at the time.

Therefore, when sentencing Bridge today, the sentence was shortened by 14 months because of time already served under the previous conviction, now included under the umbrella of the offences he was sentenced for today, including Conspiracy to Supply Cocaine and Conspiracy to Conceal Criminal Property.

The Judge also took into account as mitigation that Bridge was a cocaine addict himself and so though motivated by financial gain, had drug debts to pay. The Judge said that it was to Bridge's credit that he is now clean of his drug addiction, giving him a better chance of leading a law-abiding life when he is eventually released.

Judge Mayo directed that all four defendants should be released into the community on licence no later than halfway through their sentence, so being returned to jail to serve the full sentence if they should break the terms of the licence.

Confiscation proceedings on criminal property held by the defendants will continue while they serve their sentences.

Concluding the hearing, Judge Mayo has special praise for the police team behind Operation Topaz, which brought the drug dealers to justice. They began investigating Hamid when his luxurious lifestyle appeared not to be in keeping with his means.

Speaking of the "dogged determination" of the police team, Judge Mayo said: "It was an example of the highest standards of professionalism. I commend the whole team on what was a real team effort."