Couple sentenced for drugs/organised crime

Couple who handled more than £12m of drugs and criminal cash sentenced

A man who was caught leaving his home with more than £160,000 of cash in a carrier bag, has been jailed after Metropolitan Police investigators uncovered his multi-million-pound role in an organised crime group.

Samuel De Vere-Hunt, 30 (12.08.1995) of School Road, Kelvedon Hatch, Essex was a drug kingpin responsible for laundering over £6 million in cash and supplying hundreds of kilos of MDMA, ketamine and cannabis destined for London. He was sentenced on Friday, 30 January at Kingston Crown Court, to 12 years’ imprisonment.

His girlfriend and accomplice, Rosie Wise, 25 (16.11.2000), of School Road, Kelvedon Hatch was also sentenced to one year and nine months' imprisonment, suspended for two years.

Officers conducted a thorough investigation piecing together evidence and painstakingly trawled through thousands of messages on encrypted communication service Encrochat. This identified an individual using the operating handles Modernfeet and Immaculatetractor, who was seen to move millions of pounds of cash and multi kilo amounts of ketamine and cannabis. Through this work this user was identified as De Vere-Hunt.

Despite attempts to remain hidden and conceal his identity, officers were ultimately able to establish De Vere-Hunt was in a relationship with Wise and tracked their address in Brentwood through various methods including phone data and food deliveries made to the pair.

This case is just one example of the Met’s work to tackle serious and organised crime groups with these gangs disrupted more than 21,230 times in London last year — a 63% rise on the previous year. This includes seizures as well as the arrest, charge and prosecution of criminals.