Man given 37-month sentence for drug dealing after Stowmarket stop

A man from Coventry has been jailed for 37 months for drug dealing offences after being arrested in Stowmarket last year.

Alban Rustemi, 29, of Gosford Street, Coventry, was sentenced at Ipswich Crown Court on Monday 24 February after pleading guilty to being in possession of a controlled drug (cocaine) with the intent to supply.

Rustemi was stopped by officers from Suffolk Constabularies Sentinel West ANPR team on Kestrel Drive, Stowmarket in September 2024.

Officers searched his vehicle and located a hide in the rear of the vehicle containing 38 bags of powder cocaine.

Rustemi initially entered a not guilty plea at all of his court hearings. However, officers used mobile phone data and expert evidence to build a strong case with Rustemi changing to a guilty plea on the day of his trial.

He was sentenced to 37 months’ imprisonment, ordered to pay £228 in costs, while the court ordered the forfeiture of his vehicle along with the mobile phones and drugs seized.

PC Harry Tully said: Despite Rustemi’s fictitious claims of why and how he came to be in Suffolk with this quantity of drugs, we were able to put together a strong case utilising phone data and expert drug evidence which ended up been so successful he was left with no option but to plea guilty at the last minute.

“We will continue to robustly target those involved in organised crime in Suffolk and go to great lengths to ensure those involved are put behind bars.”

The arrest and investigation was led by the Sentinel West team. The three Sentinel teams across the south, west and eastern areas of the county provide enhanced coverage of Suffolk’s road network to proactively disrupt serious and organised criminal activity as well as increase police visibility. The mobile unit disrupts criminals and protects communities across Suffolk’s road network using a variety of techniques to deal with offenders involved.

If you suspect drug activity report this via the website www.suffolk.police.uk/contact-us/report-something/report-crime, call 101, or alternatively you can contact the independent charity Crimestoppers to report anonymously – either online at www.crimestoppers-uk.org or by calling 0800 555 111.