CRIME FILES: Drugs conspirators lived the high life

London-based Nejmi Atalar and Mertcan Dereli were jailed for five years each for supplying heroin and crack cocaine on the streets of Worcester - but the pair were warned they would face longer in jail if they do not pay off the cash they owe.

Both men were jailed as a result of Operation Blade, a police campaign to cut the supply of class A drugs to Worcester from larger cities.

For Atalar the benefit figure from his dealing was identified as £7,365, but Worcester Crown Court heard a year ago he only had available the sum of £1,823, that he had to pay within a month or face an extra day in prison in default.

The police forfeited various items from him to recover the debt, including Christian Louboutin trainers, a Gucci bag, Moncler and Footlocker clothing.

For Dereli the benefit figure was identified as £535 with assets available of £522 that he had to pay within a month or face one day in prison in default.

The proceeds of crime application hearing had followed the jailing of the pair. During that sentencing, Judge Robert Juckes QC issued a stark warning that others who peddle class A drugs can expect to be locked up.

Judge Juckes said: "If you get caught dealing cocaine you go to prison. It's a message this court seeks to send out through all the judges passing sentence.

"If you get caught it's a prison sentence and the intention is that it should be a deterrent."

South Worcestershire police commander, Superintendent Damian Pettit, said: "These strong sentences are evidence that individuals convicted of drugs offences will be firmly dealt with through the court system and the public can be reassured that we are all doing what we can to protect them from many forms of harm caused by the use and dealing of these substances."

The pair's London homes were swooped on in July 2018, when both were arrested. A large quantity of cash and mobile phones were recovered from Atalar's home.

A search of Atalar's home revealed that, despite being unemployed, he was living what police described as 'a cash rich style lifestyle with a large volume of expensive clothing including multiple pairs of Christian Louboutin trainers'.

Hidden within a false base of a wardrobe were two mobile phones, later confirmed to be used in the arrangement of Worcester drugs supply.

Within these phones was the 'Chef' drugs line as well as a new drugs line operating in Worcester under the title of the 'T' line.

The court was told Dereli ‘together with Volkan Kurt and others unknown’ conspired to bring the class A drugs into the city between October 26, 2017 and July 19, 2018.

Atalar, aged 25 at the time and of Crooked Mile, Waltham Abbey, Essex and Dereli, aged 22 at the time and of Commander Avenue, London, were jailed for five years each at Hereford Crown Court in January 2019 for conspiracy to supply heroin and crack cocaine.

Their arrest in London was not the first time they had drawn the suspicion of Worcester police.

Both were originally arrested on November 2, 2017, following a report from a member of public who suspected they were dealing drugs from a car.

A spokesman for West Mercia Police said: "When officers located and detained the vehicle Dereli was observed to be retching as if having swallowed something."

Inside the car officers located £390 and multiple phones, one of which was later found to contain SMS contact with known class A drugs users advertising crack and heroin.

On January 23, 2018, plain clothes officers were on patrol in Diglis when they noticed a large number of drug users coming and going from an alleyway running between Diglis Lane and Bath Road.

Atalar and Dereli were seen walking away from the alleyway, both wearing high visibility jackets and holding clipboards to look like workers involved in the development of the Diglis area.

The arrest of street dealer Volkan Kurt followed on March 6, 2018. He was jailed for 30 months in April as the net closed on Atalar and Dereli, who were further up the chain of command.