Three men who admitted to being behind a drug line which sold Class A drugs have been sentenced, police have confirmed. The drug dealers, who were all from North Bristol, were caught dealing in South Bristol.
Shomari Kondwani, 32, of Linnell Close, Bristol controlled the mobile phone which drug users would contact to buy cocaine and heroine. Kemar Watson, 20, of Selbrooke Crescent, Bristol and Kavel Hines-Hastings, 20, of Cottrell Road, Bristol were two of Kondwani's couriers who would deliver the drugs on his behalf.
All three appeared at Bristol Crown Court last week after previously admitting two counts of being concerned in the supply of Class A drugs. Watson and Hines-Hastings also each admitted two charges of possession with intent to supply Class A drugs during an earlier hearing.
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The three men were caught after Avon and Somerset Police officers found wraps of cocaine and heroin on a man they'd stopped in the Bedminster area on July 29. Enquiries established the drugs had been ordered and bought via a phone registered to Kondwani.
When officers stopped him in his car a few days later, they recovered the phone and found it had been used to orchestrate the whole operation. On the same day, officers forced entry into a property on Hollidge Gardens in Southville after intelligence linked it to the drug line.
Officers found Watson and Hines-Hastings inside the address, along with nearly £2,000 worth of Class A drugs. At last week's sentencing hearing, Kondwani was jailed for four years and eight months and was made subject to a six-year Criminal Behaviour Order (CBO).
Watson was jailed for two years and six months and given a four-year CBO while Hines-Hastings was handed a 20 month prison sentence, suspended for two years. In addition, Hines-Hastings was given a two-year CBO and told to carry out 200 hours of unpaid work.
South Bristol Inspector Chris Green said: “Those who sell illegal drugs are the scourge of society. They cause significant harm to communities not only by facilitating the habits of vulnerable people but by increasing anti-social behaviour and acquisitive crime as they look to fund their addictions.
“While not in this instance, those behind the sale of drugs are often also involved in high levels of violence, sometimes involving weapons, as well as the exploitation and abuse of other vulnerable adults and children.
“Tackling the supply of drugs and dismantling the organised criminal networks responsible is a priority for us and we’d encourage anyone who has concerns about such activity in their community to contact us.
“We may not be able to act on the information you provide straight away but every bit of intelligence helps us understand exactly what is happening and provides us with the evidence we need to bring offenders to justice.”
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