Drug dealer found in Desborough with £3,560 of cocaine within days of arrival in UK

An Albanian national has been jailed after police found him with £3,560 of cocaine in his Desborough property just days after arriving in the UK from Italy.

Police witnessed what they believed to be a drug deal at around 7.30pm on March 26 earlier this year when they saw a man making an exchange with a woman in a Ford Fiesta.

The woman, who was in the passenger seat exited the vehicle and the man drove away. The driver did not stop when police officers illuminated their blue lights but wound up having to stop anyway when he turned into a dead end street, Northampton Crown Court heard on Thursday, July 13.

The driver - 35-year-old Ndricim Bulica - was found not to be insured on the Ford Fiesta and, as he got out of the car, a small bag of cocaine fell onto the floor.

Caroline Bray, prosecuting, said that after 11 more bags of cocaine were found in the car and in Bulica’s pockets, police conducted a search of his Desborough property. There, they found 74 deal bags of cocaine in his bedroom and a further three bags in the bathroom.

The total value of the cocaine, if sold at street value, was estimated to be £3,560. The total cash seized from Bulica was £321.46 and €90.

Bulica, of Campbell Square in Northampton, denied possession of Class A drugs with intent to supply when interviewed and when he entered his plea at Northampton Magistrates Court. He, however, changed his plea to guilty at his plea and trial preparation hearing at Northampton Crown Court earlier this year.

Natalie Lake, in mitigation, told the court that the defendant did not have any sort of managerial function within the drug selling enterprise and there was no evidence of him involving others or weighing and cutting the drugs.

The court heard that Bulica is an Albanian national who has lived with his partner and children in Italy for many years.

Ms Lake said Bulica committed this offence through “economic pressure” to address the healthcare needs of himself and for his wife back in Italy, who is undergoing an operation for cervical cancer.

Bulica has two protruding hernias, which meant that he was unable to work in construction in Italy, so he came to the UK for work, the court heard. Just days after his arrival, he was arrested.

“He has shown clear regret for his choices and he is shaken by the gravity of the situation he finds himself in,” Ms Lake said.

Her Honour Judge Rebecca Crane, in her sentencing remarks, said: “Given your recent arrival, it is fair to say that you came with the aim to sell drugs.”

Bulica was sentenced to two years and three months in prison. Judge Crane also made an order for all of the cash seized to be donated to a local charity.