Jagjit Rao dealt heroin and crack cocaine from local cemetery

A 37-year-old man from Hanwell who used a local cemetery to deal in Class A drugs has been jailed.

Jagjit Rao of Cheyne Path, W7 appeared at Isleworth Crown Court on the Friday, 26 June 2020, where he pleaded guilty to possession with intent to supply cocaine and heroin. He was sentenced to 5 years and 6 months imprisonment.

The court heard that at 3pm on Thursday, 28 May officers from the West Area Violent Suppression Unit (VSU) were on patrol, near the Kensington and Chelsea cemetery in Hanwell, when they spotted Mr Rao speaking to another man. They overheard them talking about a potential drug deal about to take place.

Officers observed Mr Rao being followed into the cemetery from the Uxbridge Road by two other men and went to detain him. Upon seeing the officers Mr Rao tried to discard drugs which were in a small black plastic bag by throwing them to the ground. However, they were later recovered at the scene.

He was detained for a drug search and arrested after the bag he had was found to contain 46 wraps of heroin and 3 wraps of crack cocaine.

He also had £245 in cash on him which was also seized. He was arrested for possession with intent to supply Class A drugs.

Rao was charged and taken to Uxbridge Magistrate’s Court where he was remanded to prison to await trial.

The Drugs Focus Desk (DFD) assisted with the investigation, where it was established that the drugs seized had an approximate street value of £980.

Due to the evidence presented by both the VSU and DFD, Mr Rao pled guilty to all charges at court. The cash that was found on his possession was confiscated as proceeds of crime and a destruction order given for the drugs.

Sergeant Mat Catlin, West Area Violent Suppression Unit said, “Street level drug dealing is a known cause of ongoing Drug Related Violence which has plagued our streets and is used to fund violent criminals.

“We will continue to tackle and disrupt the supply of drugs within our communities.”

July 9, 2020