Gang leader who smuggled cocaine between London and Sussex has 'lenient' jail sentence increased

A gang leader who smuggled cocaine between London and Sussex has had his “lenient” prison sentence increased.

Ergest Tarja, 31, led a gang which formed part of a complex network that supplied around 20 kilograms of cocaine between London and Sussex over a period of between two and three years.

Tarja used a special EncroChat phone to send and receive encrypted calls and messages in a bid to cover his tracks.

But experts at the French Police were able to uncover the messages, which showed his involvement in the distribution of multiple kilograms of cocaine.

Tarja was already serving a four-year prison sentence and was jailed for a further six years and six months at Lewes Crown Court for conspiring to supply cocaine and being concerned in the supply of cocaine.

The sentence was referred to the Court of Appeal under the Unduly Lenient Sentence scheme, with the court on Thursday increasing Tarja’s jail time to nine years.

The court previously heard how Tarja, an Albanian national, had been in the UK for several years by using false IDs when he committed the offences.

He was said to have played a leading role in the operation by organising the buying and selling of cocaine, helping to sell 5kg of cocaine between March 2020 and April 2021.

Solicitor General, Robert Courts said: “Drugs are a scourge on our local communities, and I was shocked by the sophistication of Ergest Tarja’s operation to distribute judge quantities of drugs.

“Thankfully the court agreed that his sentence was unduly lenient, and his increased prison term shows that drug dealers will face the full force of the law.”