Man Jailed for 11 Years After Discovery of Cocaine and Firearm in Garden

An individual found in possession of 13 kilograms (28 pounds) of cocaine and a handgun has received an 11-year prison sentence. Police investigations revealed the man, identified as 33-year-old Albanian national Irakli Rustemi, was an undocumented immigrant who had evaded Immigration Enforcement authorities. Law enforcement officers located a 9mm pistol and cocaine with an estimated value of £700,000 inside a chalet situated in the garden of a residence on Penton Drive in Cheshunt, Hertfordshire. Rustemi admitted guilt to charges of possessing a class A drug with the intent to supply, possessing a firearm, and possessing ammunition. His sentencing took place at St Albans Crown Court on Wednesday. In October of last year, the Organised Crime Partnership (OCP) – a specialized unit consisting of officers from the Metropolitan Police and the National Crime Agency – directed Cambridgeshire Police to intercept a vehicle on the A10 near Buntingford. This action was based on intelligence indicating that the vehicle’s occupants had access to a firearm. Upon stopping Rustemi’s vehicle, officers located a key inside the car. This key provided access to an apartment located within the garden of a Cheshunt house, where OCP officers subsequently found a 9mm Makarov self-loading pistol along with six rounds of ammunition in a magazine, which had been wrapped in a towel and stored in a wardrobe. Additionally, cocaine with an estimated street value of £700,000 was discovered. The cocaine was primarily organized into 1-kilogram blocks, though some was also found in smaller bags. After the sentencing, Andrew Tickner of the OCP stated: “[Our] primary mission is to protect the public from dangerous offenders like Irakli Rustemi, whose crime group has now been dismantled.” Information regarding Beds, Herts, and Bucks news is available on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram, and X. Copyright for this content is held by BBC, 2024. All rights are reserved. The BBC disclaims responsibility for the content found on external websites and provides information regarding its approach to external linking.