Two Colombians jailed for cocaine conspiracy in London

Two Colombians who conducted a drug deal worth over a million pounds in a Lidl car park were sentenced to a total of 16 years eight months in jail at Southwark Crown Court today, Friday 4 February.

Cesar-Augusto Londono-Alvarez, 52 (13/04/58), of Soverin House Scott Way NW7 received eight years eight months and Cesar Guevara, 43 (17/2/67) of no fixed abode received eight years, both for conspiracy to supply £300,000 (with a street value up to £1.35million) worth of cocaine.

On 30 July 2010, following intelligence received, officers from the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) Serious and Organised Crime Command observed Londono-Alvarez at a fast food restaurant in Station Road, Edgware.

Londono-Alvarez, who was with a woman and child at the time, was seen leaving the restaurant with a carrier bag and then walked to the car park of a nearby Lidl supermarket where he met another man – Guevara – who had just arrived in a silver Vauxhall Astra. Londono-Alvarez passed the carrier bag to Guevara who then put it in the car and drove away.

Officers followed and eventually stopped the car in Greenway Gardens NW9 where they conducted a search. The carrier bag was found in the boot and seen to contain five packages wrapped in newspaper and plastic tape. Tests later revealed them to contain five kilos of cocaine.

Guevara and a woman who was also in the car were arrested on suspicion of possession with intent to supply class A drugs – the woman was later released with no further action taken.

Officers later arrested Londono-Alvarez on suspicion of conspiracy to supply class A drugs as he left a shop in Station Road. The woman he had been seen with earlier, Claudia Villa-Bustamnte, was also arrested.

Searches were conducted at addresses linked to Londono-Alvarez and Villa-Bustamnte and uncovered another 1kilo of cocaine, plus items linked to drug dealing such as cutting agent and scales.

All three were subsequently charged.

Londono-Alvarez and Guevara pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply cocaine and were sentenced as above.

Claudia Villa-Bustamnte was tried at Southwark Crown Court and found not guilty.