Three men have been jailed for a total of 18 years imprisonment for drug and money laundering offences, which came to light following a stop of a vehicle in Bradford.
Peter Rawson, 40, of Stone Acre Court, West Bowling; Klodian Bajrakurti, 28, of Tunbridge Wells, Kent; and Arif Paca, 22, of George Hudson Tower, Stratford; were all jailed at Bradford Crown Court on Wednesday 19th August.
Rawson was sentenced to nine and a half years imprisonment for conspiracy to supply a Class A drug and money laundering offences and Bajrakurti and Paca were sentenced to four and a half years and four years imprisonment respectively for conspiracy to supply a Class A drug.
On 23rd April, officers observed a Renault Laguna on Wilson Road, Wyke, Bradford, with Bajrajurti in the driver’s seat and Paca as a passenger. Rawson was seen exiting a premises on Clayhill Drive carrying a bag. He entered the Renault Laguna and a short time later exited the vehicle still carrying the same bag.
While officers were arresting Paca and Bajrakurti, Rawson was again seen exiting a premises on Clayhill Drive and observed throwing an item into a neighbouring garden. Rawson was detained and the item recovered. Within the bag was 2.97 kilograms of cocaine at 73 per cent purity with an estimated value of £300,000.
A search was carried out at Rawson’s address and a bundle of Bank of England notes was seized. The bundle contained £94,415.
Senior Investigating Officer, Detective Inspector Jon Key, of West Yorkshire Police’s Serious and Organised Crime Unit, said: “We are pleased with the sentences handed out and hope this serves as a message to others who are involved in large scale drug supply and money laundering. This goes to show how seriously the courts and West Yorkshire Police take this kind of offending.”
