Jailed: gang of dealers who posed for pictures with wads of cash and bags of drugs

 
Jailed: Sophian Chhayra, 24, poses with a huge bag of marijuana while Zakaria Chentouf, also 24, holds wads of cash
Josh Pettitt30 October 2014
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Drug dealers from west London who posed for photos with drugs and wads of cash have been handed sentences totalling more than four years.

The gang, who sold cannabis on a “commercial scale”, were scooped up by police after a series of raids on 13 addresses in May, with officers seizing thousands in cash, drugs and mobile phones.

Images on the gangs’ phones show supplier Zakaria Chentouf, 24, staring at the camera with a stack of notes and “middle man” Sophian Chhayra, 24, grinning while clutching a bag of cannabis to his chest.

Zakaria Chentouf was jailed for 18 months

The court heard how one of the gang’s most trusted dealers Fouad Soussi, 20, who was born “profoundly deaf”, had been dealing several small wraps of cannabis an hour from his mother’s flat in Ladbroke Grove, using runners including Ahmed Mohamud, 20.

Sophian Chhayra: also jailed for 10 months

Speaking at the gang’s sentencing yesterday, prosecutor Tyrone Silcott, said: “Mr Chentouf is the head of the conspiracy. He provides or sells cannabis to Mr Soussi who is the principal street dealer with Mr Chhayra acting as a middle man between the two.”

The four men were sentenced to a total of 43 months in prison or youth detention centres, but Mohamud and Chhayra will be released after serving their time on remand.

Jailed for 15 months: Fouad Soussi

Sentencing at Isleworth crown court Lord Judge McGregor-Johnson said: “The evidence in this case reveals during the period that I am concerned there was sustained high level drug dealing in terms of cannabis and I have no doubt, having read the statements… that such overt behaviour leads to violence that also leads to distress and concern among local residents.”

He added: “That conspiracy was over a six-week period and looking at the overall picture there was highly active cannabis dealing to customers each day.”

Yousif Mahomud got 12 weeks for the supply of class B drugs

Chentouf, who admitted conspiracy to supply class B drugs, being in possession of class A drugs, possessing £3,000 from the proceeds of crime and handling stolen goods, was handed an 18-month jail term.

Soussi, Chhayra and Mohamud all pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply class B drugs between March 18 and May 6. Mohamud and Chhayra were both sentenced to 10 months in prison, which they have already served on remand, while Soussi was handed 15 months detention in a young offenders’ institution.

Ahmed Mahomud was handed 10 months' jail

Mohamud’s older brother Yousif Mohamud admitted to being concerned in the supply of class B drugs on one occasion. He was sentenced to 20 weeks’ detention, which he has already served on remand.

All were handed anti-social behaviour orders, banning them from the drug-dealing area, except to visit family.

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