An organised crime network operating in west London has been dismantled following a major police investigation, resulting in the sentencing of four key members – including a serving magistrate, to a total of 25 years in prison.
Detectives pieced together call data records, forensic evidence and phone downloads to identify a group responsible for the wholesale supply of heroin and crack cocaine across London between October 2024 and July 2025. The network operated multiple drug lines and distributed drugs worth over a hundred thousand pounds.
The four defendants, who were sentenced at Croydon Crown Court yesterday (25 June) were Purshotam Dhillon, 59, from Hounslow who was given a seven years’ custodial sentance, Hardeep Thind also known as Harry Singh, 48, from Southall who was sentenced to 12 years and six months, Bikramjit Brar, 46, from Hayes who was sentenced to three years and four months and Leandrea Lynch, 49, from Hayes who was sentenced to two years and six months suspended for the same length of time.
The investigation, which began in January 2024, involved the analysis of phone records and forensic evidence to identify the group’s members and their roles within the network.
Thind, who was already serving a 17-year sentence in prison for conspiracy to supply heroin and cocaine, as well as possession of a prohibited automatic weapon, namely a Skorpion submachine gun, directed and coordinate the drugs network with the use of a burner phone from the open prison where he was serving his sentance.
Following his release in October 2024, Thind resumed his criminal activity – expanding the operation and recruiting several dealers in the Hayes and Southall area – and it wasn’t long before he came to police attention again. Evidence showed he maintained contact with all key members and coordinated activity across multiple drug lines.
The investigation identified distinct roles within the network with Thind acting as the leader – coordinating supply and directing others; Purshotam Dhillon – a self-confessed drug addict – was found to store drugs, cash and equipment; Brar held and distributed drugs on behalf of the network while Lynch acted as a runner – facilitating supply and communications.
Other members of the network were arrested and convicted earlier in the investigation, demonstrating the scale and structure of the operation.
Detective Inspector Mark Gavin, said:“This was a complex and far-reaching investigation that uncovered a well-established organised crime network responsible for supplying significant quantities of Class A drugs across London.
“The team’s extensive work enabled us to identify, disrupt and dismantle a group whose actions would have been causing serious harm to communities.
“As a serving magistrate, Dhillon abused a position of trust in the most serious way. This case demonstrates that no-one is above the law, and those who engage in criminality will be held accountable.
“County lines are far more than drug dealing – they exploit the vulnerable and fuel violence. We remain committed to relentlessly pursuing those responsible.”
