Organised crime gang sentenced for role in large-scale drugs conspiracy

Five men have been jailed for a total of 84 years for their involvement in a major organised crime group responsible for importing and supplying Class A drugs worth millions of pounds into London.

The defendants were sentenced at Kingston Crown Court on Thursday, 21 May:

Andrzej Walas, 48 (21.06.77), of Hubert Road, Slough was sentenced to 26 years’ imprisonment

Robert Francuz, 43 (27.11.82), of Heath Park House, Cotterells, Hemel Hempstead was sentenced to 21 years

Jamie Allen, 29 (07.05.96), of Easterton Croft, Birmingham was sentenced to 13 years

Dawid Gasiewski, 32 (10.08.93), of no fixed address but from Kingston was sentenced to 14 years and 4 months

Jagjit Singh, 30 (30.01.96), of Tew Park Road, Birmingham was sentenced to 10 years and 6 months

The conclusion follows a complex Met Police investigation into an organised criminal network responsible for importing and distributing significant quantities of cocaine and heroin across the UK.

Over the course of the investigation, officers seized more than 300 kilograms of cocaine and more than 60 kilograms of heroin, with an estimated wholesale value of almost £8 million pounds in total.

The group used a sophisticated method involving legitimate haulage routes and so-called “ghost warehouses” to move drugs from mainland Europe into the country.

Lorries arriving at UK ports would divert from their legitimate delivery routes to covert storage sites, including locations in Slough and later Daventry, where drugs were secretly offloaded before the lorries continued to their intended destinations.

Drugs that were found hidden at the warehouses would be removed, repackaged and distributed onward. Men flew in from Poland specifically to assist with unloading and onward supply, often using hire cars to make short trips from the sites to distribute wholesale quantities to drug dealers.

Detective Constable Leon Ure, from Specialist Crime South, who led the investigation, said:

“This case has centred on a criminal venture planned on a gigantic commercial scale which would have likely caused violence and destruction on our streets.

“These offenders organised a significant drug line into London and the surrounding counties over a prolonged period of time.

“If people wonder why we are so relentless in going after those involved in drug supply, it’s because this criminality fuels violence and rips families and communities apart.

“We are very grateful to our partners for their assistance. Our coordinated response has resulted in the disruption of a major threat to public safety and has taken this group of criminals off our streets.”

Early disruption

The investigation, led by the Met’s Specialist Crime command, began in July 2024 following surveillance of a suspect handover of boxes between cars linked to the network in Slough. A subsequent stop by the West Midlands Regional Organised Crime Unit led to the seizure of five kilograms of cocaine and 25 kilograms of heroin. This early interception provided crucial intelligence about the scale and logistics of the operation.

Further enquiries revealed couriers were frequently travelling between Europe and the UK on short trips, staying in budget accommodation while coordinating drug movements.

Warehouse operation

On 6 August 2024, Met officers executed a warrant at a warehouse in Slough following surveillance of suspicious activity involving an HGV arriving from continental Europe.

Inside, officers discovered approximately 103 kilograms of cocaine and 37 kilograms of heroin, with additional quantities found in lorries which had been linked to the site. Evidence showed this location had been used repeatedly, with CCTV and phone data indicating at least ten similar importations between May and August 2024, each involving multi-kilogram shipments.

The operation revealed a highly structured system involving drugs being offloaded from lorries, unpacked, then redistributed using coded communications, with passwords and pre-arranged collection points.

On 13 August 2024, continued collaboration with the West Midlands Regional Organised Crime Unit led to a further 20 kilograms of cocaine being seized in Leicester, which was directly linked to the same network.

Continued police activity

Despite the disruption, the group re-established operations. In March 2025, Walas and Francuz secured a second “ghost warehouse” in Daventry.

On 7 April 2025, officers identified a lorry travelling from the Netherlands making an unexplained stop at the site instead of continuing to its legitimate delivery address in Birmingham. The driver, Dawid Gasiewski, unloaded cargo into the warehouse before Jagjit Singh arrived. Police were shortly on site where they seized approximately 200 kilograms of cocaine and a further 100 kilograms inside the warehouse.

Jamie Allen was arrested shortly after arriving at the warehouse, while Walas and Francuz were arrested the following day. Evidence later showed they had taken steps to hide their involvement, including using false identities.

Scale of the operation

Over the course of the investigation, which was also supported by the East Midlands Special Operations Unit, officers seized approximately 328 kilograms of cocaine and 62 kilograms of heroin.

Analysis of communications and surveillance indicates the network was responsible for importing and distributing significantly larger quantities, potentially exceeding one tonne of Class A drugs.

Convictions

Walas and Francuz were convicted of multiple offences relating to the importation of Class A drugs. Allen was convicted of conspiracy to supply Class A drugs and failing to disclose protected information.

Gasiewski and Singh had previously pleaded guilty, with Gasiewski entering pleas on 30 October 2025 and Singh pleading guilty on the first day of trial.

Several other individuals linked to the organised crime group have already been convicted and sentenced for their roles in the wider conspiracy.

The Met Police remains committed to targeting organised criminal networks involved in the supply of Class A drugs, which continue to drive serious violence and exploitation across London and beyond.