Fifth man jailed after police broke encrypted drug chats

CITY CRIME GROUP MEMBER WAS FOUND GUILTY OF CONSPIRACY TO SUPPLY COCAINE

- By JASMINE SIDDON

A MAN who was part of a cocaine ring which supplied class A drugs across the East Midlands is now behind bars.

Balvinder Singh-Gill was among a group of men who believed they were "above the law," according to police.

However, the group's global encrypted messaging service, which oversaw the drugs conspiracy, was exposed by detectives and the crime operation brought down.

Singh-Gill, 43, formerly of Deancourt Road, Leicester, was found guilty last month at Leicester Crown Court, sitting at Loughborough Magistrates' Court, of conspiracy to supply class A drugs.

He was sentenced yesterday at Leicester Crown Court to seven years and six months in prison.

The criminal network was led by Leicester men Kuldip Singh-Hayre, 54, and Navjot Singh Sandhu, 49, and saw large amounts of cocaine moved throughout Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire.

Both were responsible for distributing the drug with an estimated street value of more than £1 million between January and June 2020.

Damien Wright, 49, and Kelly Williamson, 61, were part of the gang alongside Singh-Hayre and Singh Sandhu.