Two drug pushers who were caught with 14 kilos of cannabis worth £140,000 have been jailed for two years.
Silvio Kondi, 30, and Flamur Saliasi, 45, were travelling in a Mercedes E-Class which was stopped on the A1(M) at Boroughbridge on September 30 last year, York Crown Court heard.
A search of the vehicle revealed a huge cannabis stash with an estimated street value of £140,000 and about £1,300 cash.
Kondi, from Leeds, and Saliasi were charged with possessing a Class B drug with intent to supply.
They admitted the offences but on the basis that they were only couriers. This was rejected by the prosecution at the plea hearing in October and the case was adjourned for a Newton hearing, or trial of issue, today (Tuesday, February 8).
However, the case proceeded straight to sentence after the prosecution and defence counsel agreed that Kondi and Saliasi’s role in the drugs racket was more likely to be “significant” rather than “leading”.
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The prosecution contended that both men had close ties to the “original source” of the supply chain and therefore played a “significant” role.
Annie Richardson, for the Crown, said the Mercedes was stopped in the middle of the afternoon but only for a routine check.
She added:
“Police found various items including vacuum packs of cannabis, uncounted cash and mobile telephones.”
There were 14 vacuum packs weighing one kilo each. A drug expert estimated the total street value to be £140,000.
Albanian interpreter
The cash found included £1,186 in pounds sterling, just over £111 in Euros and small amounts of Macedonian, Albanian and Czech currency.
The two men were hauled in for questioning but refused to answer police questions. They appeared for sentence on Tuesday accompanied by an Albanian interpreter.
Robert Mochrie, for Kondi, asked the judge to take account of his client’s timely guilty plea.
Kelleigh Lodge, for Saliasi, said her client had only arrived in the UK last year – just months before his arrest.
Since then, his wife had returned to their native Albania and Saliasi was “extremely keen” to join her once he had been released from prison.
Ms Lodge said Saliasi had already signed forms with immigration authorities for his deportation.
Kondi, of Tong Road, and Saliasi, of no fixed address, were each jailed for two years. They will serve half of that sentence behind bars before being released on prison licence.
