In September 2023, Surrey Police investigators began tracking two phone numbers linked to the sale of cocaine and ketamine. These numbers were consistently used by dealers offering attractive deals to their regular customers. Using cell site data, police were able to track the phones across multiple locations, including journeys to the Midlands. With the help of Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras, officers connected the phones to vehicles and eventually identified three suspects.
In early January 2024, Surrey Police executed simultaneous search warrants at properties in Aldershot and Coulsdon. In Aldershot, officers spotted one suspect attempting to escape through a second-floor window, while a second man casually emerged from a bathroom. Upon searching the flat, police found drugs hidden in the toilet bowl, along with drug paraphernalia, mobile phones—two of which were concealed in the underwear of one of the suspects—and a lengthy contact list of customers. In Coulsdon, police discovered similar evidence, along with knuckle dusters and a knife.
Three men were arrested during the operation and later appeared at Guildford Crown Court on 22 August 2024. James Singh, 27, of Coulsdon, was sentenced to six years and three months for conspiracy to sell class A and B drugs. Luke Gernon, 27, of New Malden, received a four-year and six-month sentence for the same offence. Kalum Howard, also 27, of Coulsdon, was sentenced to four years for conspiracy to sell class A and B drugs and for possessing criminal property.
The court also ordered the forfeiture of all drugs, mobile phones, weapons, and cash seized during the investigation, with the funds being directed to Surrey Police.
A fourth suspect, Aidan Walker, 32, of Chessington, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to sell class A drugs on 13 June 2024. He is scheduled for sentencing on 21 October 2024 at Guildford Crown Court.
