Two Albanian nationals, Orest Malushi, aged 44, hailing from Barnet, and Olsian Vogli, aged 31, residing in Birmingham, have been handed a combined prison sentence of nearly eight years for their involvement in cocaine trafficking. The investigation leading to their conviction was masterminded by the Organised Crime Partnership (OCP), a collaborative force comprising the National Crime Agency (NCA) and the Metropolitan Police Service.
The arrests occurred in July of the previous year when OCP officers apprehended Malushi and Vogli beside Malushi’s car in Hendon, north London. The authorities had been conducting surveillance, which ultimately led them to the location. Vogli had been observed entering and leaving a flat on Caversham Road, subsequently identified as a stash house, shortly before their arrest.
During a search of Vogli’s black rucksack, OCP officers made a significant discovery – half a kilogram of cocaine. However, the investigation took an even more substantial turn when they uncovered an additional two-and-a-half kilograms of cocaine concealed inside a specially adapted compartment in the glovebox of Malushi’s vehicle. Further searches conducted in the apartment revealed an astonishing sum of over £100,000 in cash and a mobile phone equipped with several SIM cards.
In previous hearings at St Albans Crown Court, both Malushi and Vogli pleaded guilty to the possession of cocaine with intent to supply. Their sentences were ultimately decided on January 9 at Harrow Crown Court, which had convened at Willesden Magistrates’ Court. Malushi was sentenced to two years and six months in prison, while Vogli received a more severe penalty of five years and four months.
Andrew Tickner, who represented the Organised Crime Partnership, underscored the impact of their illicit trade, remarking, “The cocaine supplied by Olsian Vogli and Orest Malushi was generating large profits for the organised crime group they belonged to, as shown by the amount of cash we found in the apartment.
Tickner emphasized the futile attempt made by the criminals to conceal their activities through the adapted hide in Malushi’s car. He underscored the relentless efforts exerted by law enforcement to dismantle organised criminal groups engaged in the distribution of class-A drugs.
