Cambridgeshire family jailed over drug empire selling cannabis and cocaine from Peterborough

A family-run drug empire was uncovered by chance after police stopped a dangerous driver - and found bags of cannabis and cocaine.

Konstantinos Androulakis, 25, was stopped on the A47 in Peterborough in the early hours of 5 September 2020.

Seven bags of cannabis and 39 bags of cocaine were found inside of his car and he was arrested, later confessing that he was supplying drugs on behalf of someone named "Tony".

Detectives identified "Tony" as 29-year-old Xhejni Mucaj, who was arrested at his home in Hartley Avenue, Fengate, along with his wife, 23-year-old Christiana Sopikou and his sister Sabina Mucaj, 25, in March last year.

A warrant was carried out at the same time at a flat owned by Xhejni Mucaj’s father, Bahri Mucaj, in Viersen Platz, where £50,000 in cash and up to £50,000 worth of cocaine was discovered.

A “deal line” mobile phone was found in Hartley Avenue, linking the three men as drug runners, who delivered the supply on behalf of the Mucaj family.

They were Mihal Vasili, 32, Anastasios Skoulas, 24, and Georgios Chachlakis, 24.

Further investigation linked all eight people to the drugs network being run by Xhejni Mucaj and Christiana Sopikou.

Detectives also discovered a bank account used by the family, which was found to have had almost £250,000 turnover between December 2018 and February 2021 - £200,000 of which was attributed to drugs payments.

Xhejni was charged with being concerned in the supply of cocaine and cannabis, as well as conspiracy to conceal criminal property – namely money laundering, all of which he admitted in court.

Sopikou, Sabina Mucaj and Bahri Mucaj were all charged with conspiracy to supply cocaine, conspiracy to conceal criminal property – namely money laundering – and conspiracy to supply cannabis.

Sopikou admitted the offences, while Sabina Mucaj and Bahri Mucaj were found guilty following at trial at Peterborough Crown Court in November last year.

All four appeared at Peterborough Crown Court on Monday where they were sentenced:

• Xhejni Mucaj, of Hartley Avenue, Fengate – seven years and six months

• Christiana Sopikou, of Hartley Avenue, Fengate – six years and five months

• Bahri Mucaj, of Oatfield Street, Glasgow – seven years

• Sabina Mucaj, of Freston, Paston – nine years

A Proceeds of Crime Act hearing is scheduled to take place on 16 September.

Skoulas and Chachlakis, both of Bringhurst, Orton Goldhay, and Vasili, of Howland, also Orton Goldhay, all admitted possession with intent to supply cocaine in June last year. Skoulas also admitted possessing cannabis.

They were each sentenced to two years and eight months in prison at Peterborough Crown Court on 18 February.

Androulakis was jailed for two-and-a-half years in November 2020 after admitting possession with intent to supply cannabis and cocaine. He has since been deported to Greece.

Det Con Andy Macdonald, who investigated, said: “This was a long and complex investigation which began unravelling after Androulakis came to our attention 18 months ago.

"The Mucaj family ran a criminal business, turning over a lot of money in a short period of time.

"Through many, many hours of investigation, we have managed to take out a significant drugs line in Peterborough and put those behind it in prison for a considerable amount of time.”