Drug dealers jailed after large quantity of heroin and cocaine found in KFC bag inside car pulled over in Northampton

Joab Mugugu, of Javelin Avenue, Birmingham and Kadeem Hodge, formerly of Ashburnham Road in Northampton appeared at Northampton Crown Court on May 29 and January 30, respectively, to be sentenced after they both pleaded guilty to two counts of being concerned in the supply of a controlled Class A drug.

Hodge was initially arrested in December 2023 when a search of his home discovered a drug line handset, as well as a large quantity of cocaine, after officers from Northamptonshire Police’s Operation Revive West team started an investigation into a Class A drugs line operating under the name of “Joey”.

The 34-year-old was arrested and subsequently released under investigation, but on July 12 2024, during a stop-search at a Northampton supermarket, Hodge was found to be in possession of another Nokia handset containing the “Joey” line number.

Later that month, officers stopped the occupants of a VW Golf car in Christchurch Road. Hodge was behind the wheel and Mugugu was in the front passenger seat.

Police say the pair were arrested after a large quantity of individual wraps of heroin and cocaine were found inside a KFC bag in the passenger footwell of the vehicle. They were released on police bail.

Police found mobile phone data containing bulk marketing messages promoting their deals and conversations about how much the pair were making per day.

In January 2025, warrants were executed at the defendant’s homes. During the search of Mugugu’s bedroom, a mobile phone linked to the “Joey” line was seized, as well as individual bags of Class A drugs and a small amount of Class B cannabis.

During the search of Hodge’s bedroom, further crack cocaine in an uncut form was recovered and a vehicle registered to Hodge was located outside of the Northampton address. A search of the car found another large quantity of drugs and documentation linking the vehicle to Hodge, including his driving licence and passport.

A Northamptonshire Police spokesperson said: “We know drug harm remains one of the biggest concerns among our local communities, and that is why it remains a priority for the force to disrupt the supply chain.

“I am pleased with the sentences handed to both Hodge and Mugugu, and hope this is seen as a deterrent to anyone who is thinking of dealing drugs in Northamptonshire – this will not be tolerated within our county.

“Drug harm remains a priority area for the force, and we will continue to tenaciously enforce and disrupt drug dealers who prey on the most vulnerable people in our society and bring misery to our streets and communities.”

Mugugu, aged 30, was handed a five-year prison term and Hodge was sentenced to four years in prison.

Residents are urged to report any suspicious behaviour they believe may be related to drug crime to Northamptonshire Police by calling 101 or visiting www.northants.police.uk/RO. Always call 999 if a crime is in progress or life is at risk.