Northampton gangster jailed for being part of gang who used drill rap videos to lure children into moving drugs

Gaiel Landau, of Northampton, was one of 12 gangsters sentenced to a combined total of 130 years at Nottingham Crown Court on Tuesday (June 3).

The 12 gangsters flaunted their luxury lifestyle in music videos which featured them spraying Dom Perignon from a white Rolls-Royce and bragging about defending their turf with guns.

A court heard the group sold millions of pounds of Class A drugs on an "industrial scale" across Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire, Lincolnshire and Leicestershire.

A total of 13 drugs lines were later found connected to the gang - including one as far away as Aberdeen in Scotland.

The gang flooded towns with heroin and crack cocaine while defending their turf with knives and guns and even recruited children to move and sell their drugs.

They also used bulk phone messaging and sophisticated marketing techniques to advertise their lucrative county lines network to more than 1,400 customers.

Balaclava-clad members posed for photographs and professionally choreographed music videos flaunting their profits with expensive cars, watches and bottles of champagne.

Nottinghamshire Police said the lyrics and images were designed to recruit young drug dealers.

Detectives found children as young as 16 had been hired to transport and deal drugs by the gang.

In order to maximise their profits, the group also produced their own crack cocaine and used bulking agents to increase the weight of the drugs they sold.

Some of the group armed themselves with weapons - including blank and live firearms - to safeguard their enterprise from competitors.

Landau was described by police as the 'quartermaster' of the group as he was found to be responsible for supplying others with the drugs they needed for the day's dealing and receiving cash they had earnt.

The 24-year-old was sentenced to eight years and three months for conspiracy to supply Class A drugs.

Detective Inspector Luke Todd, of Nottinghamshire Police, said after the case: “Class A drugs ruin countless lives and the trade in these substances brings misery to our communities.

“That is why we devote so many hours of police work and have specialist teams working on cases like this to disrupt and shut down drug lines.

“I’d like to thank the many officers from multiple teams who worked on this case.

“Investigating one drug line can be a complex process but 13 lines have been linked to this group, which shows the enormous scale of their operation.

“Following today’s sentencings, our thoughts are with the gang’s many victims, both the vulnerable people they coerced into selling their drugs and the unfortunate and desperate addicts who became their customers.

“Ultimately, whole communities, both in Nottinghamshire and elsewhere, will benefit from these drug lines being identified and shut down.”

Others gang members sentenced

• Sipho Ncube, 29, of Birmingham, who boasted of earning £20,000 a week from drug dealing and enjoyed a lavish lifestyle of Rolex watches, designer clothes and posing with bundles of cash was jailed for 15 years for conspiracy to supply class A drugs.
• Jephte Fikula, 29, who was found with firearms when police raided his home and "revelled in the reputation and lifestyle drug dealing" was jailed for 21 years for for conspiracy to supply class A drugs. He was also convicted of possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life, possession of an imitation firearm with intent to cause fear of violence and possession of ammunition without a certificate.
• Ramone Campbell, 28, of Nottingham, was jailed for 16 years for conspiracy to supply class A drugs, possession of a prohibited firearm and ammunition, breach of a restraining order.
• Godpraise Bouwen, 22, of Nottingham was sentenced to 15 years for conspiracy to supply class A drugs.
• Kamel Mantock, 28, of Nottingham, was caged for six years and four months for conspiracy to supply class A drugs.
• Jaysaniel Grant, 26, of Nottingham was sentenced to nine years and six months for conspiracy to supply class A drugs.
• Tarrell Comrie-Patterson, 28, of Nottingham, was jailed for nine years and 11 months for conspiracy to supply class A drugs.
• Amang Kanyi, 25, of Nottingham was handed seven years and 9 months sentence for conspiracy to supply class A drugs.
• Bayleigh Reid, 25, of Nottingham, was sentenced to six years and nine months for conspiracy to supply class A drugs.
• Aiden Farah, 21, of Nottingham was jailed for six years and 11 months for conspiracy to supply class A drugs.
• Laquarne Fogo, 20, of no fixed abode, was caged for eight years youth detention for conspiracy to supply class A drugs and possession of a bladed article.