Man who supplied over £3m worth of cocaine and heroin in shopping bags is jailed
A 28-year-old man who supplied more than 40kgs of cocaine and heroin to drug dealers estimated to be worth more than £3million has been jailed.
Tishan Hewitt, of Bournevale Road, Streatham, was arrested by the National Crime Agency (NCA) in January, after he made three separate handovers of drugs – packed into reusable shopping bags – to dealers.
After his arrest officers searched Hewitt’s home and found cocaine, ketamine and cannabis, £2,235 in cash, part of a drugs press and drugs paraphernalia such as elastic bands, scales and spoons. A number of mobile phones were also recovered.
Hewitt pleaded guilty to drugs possession and supply offences at Inner London Crown Court in April, and was sentenced to nine years in prison at Croydon Crown Court yesterday.
In April last year, officers saw Hewitt driving a grey Mercedes A class which parked in Mardell Road, Croydon.
He got out and placed two full bags into the rear passenger seats of a nearby blue Ford Mondeo.
The Ford drove off and was followed by officers, who stopped it a few minutes later. It was searched and 20kg of cocaine with an estimated street value of £1.8million were found in the shopping bags.
The driver, Jimmy Matthews, 25, from Bordon in Hampshire, was charged with possession with intent to supply class A drugs. He pleaded guilty and was sentenced to eight years imprisonment at Croydon Crown Court in May last year.
Later that day, officers saw Hewitt transfer another bag to a Mitsubishi Colt on the same Croydon road as the first transfer.
The Mitsubishi drove off but was followed by officers and stopped on a road in Beckenham.
Officers searched it and found a bag behind the front passenger seat which contained 14.7 kilos of heroin with an estimated street value of £900,000.
The driver of the car was charged with possession with intent to supply class A drugs and currently awaits trial.
Finally, in May last year, Hewitt was seen getting out of the Mercedes before transferring a bag to a white Audi, in Langley Road, Beckenham.
Officers followed the Audi and stopped it a few miles away. A bag found between the legs of rear passenger Ergis Kuci, 25, from Bradford, contained almost 8kg of cocaine with an estimated street value of £720,000.
Kuci admitted intent to supply class A drugs in December last year. He will be sentenced following the re-trial of the Audi’s driver, due to start in March 2024.
Detective Chief Inspector Ben Mahoney, from the Organised Crime Partnership, said: “Tishan Hewitt was a significant supplier of cocaine and heroin to dealers in south London, making him central to a trade that drives intimidation and violence in those areas, and also presents substantial dangers to users.
“Using the combined strength of the NCA and Metropolitan Police, we continue to disrupt the organised criminals behind the class A drugs trade.”
Pictured top: Tishan Hewitt who was sentenced to nine years in prison, yesterday (Picture: NCA)