Two jailed as police crack down on notorious Basildon drugs gang

Mario Tsorri, 29, and Alfonc Palaj, 23, both of Norwood End, Basildon,  were sentenced on November 8 at Basildon Crown Court.

Tsorri was sentenced to a total of 11 years and four months in prison while Palaj was given five years and 10 months.

It comes after warrants were carried out at a number of addresses in Basildon on July 27 last year.

Four men were arrested, and a firearm, £9,000 cash, 1.4kg of cocaine and 22kg of cannabis with a combined street value of £200,000 were seized.

The warrants were the culmination of an investigation into a drug line, known as ‘The Albanians’, which Essex Police say were responsible for the large-scale supply of cocaine into south Essex, predominantly Basildon.

Officers had first become aware of the line the previous December when a mobile phone being investigated as part of a separate matter showed drugs marketing sent from a number which they then found was linked to the line.

The existence of the line was further established when another phone seized as part of another separate investigation a month later had on it a text conversation trying to arrange the sale of drugs with the same number.

Through further investigation, Essex Police say the gang consisted of 29-year-old Mario Tsorri, 27-year-old Klodjan Doci, 23-year-old Alfonc Palaj, and 31-year-old Dennis Hoj.

Following the warrants, all four were charged.

Jailed - Dennis Hoj (Picture: Essex Police) (Image: Essex Police)

At Basildon Crown Court on January 31, Tsorri, of Norwood End, Basildon admitted being concerned with supplying cocaine, being concerned in supplying cannabis, possessing criminal property, possessing a prohibited weapon and possessing ammunition without a firearm certificate.

Palaj, also of Norwood End, admitted to being concerned with supplying cocaine, being concerned with supplying cannabis and possessing criminal property.

Locked Up - Klodjan Doci (Picture: Essex Police) (Image: Essex Police)

Hoj, also of Norwood End, admitted being concerned in supplying cocaine and being concerned in supplying cannabis while Doci, of Courtney Park Road, Langdon Hills, admitted to being concerned in supplying cocaine, being concerned in supplying cannabis, and possessing criminal property.

In September Doci was jailed for three years and three months while Hoj was sentenced to three years and five months.

PC Trevor Phillips, from the Disruptor Team who led the investigation, said: “This gang polluted Basildon with Class A drugs.
“Drugs are a blight on society, ruining lives and destroying communities.
“Where drugs are sold, there is often violence and the exploitation of vulnerable people.
“We will continue our work to put drug dealers behind bars and take the poison they push off the streets.”