Popular British rapper Nines was sentenced to 28 months in prison for importing 28kg of cannabis into the UK from Spain and Poland.
The Harlesden musician, real name Courtney Freckleton, 31, was known as the “Big Boss” by his fellow conspirators in the large-scale cannabis import operation.
He appeared at Harrow Crown Court alongside Jason Thompson, 35, of Barnet.
Both were arrested in June after raids in London and Borehamwood.
Nines used the encrypted messaging service Encrochat to send a message to an unknown exporter who was using the pseudonym “MicroBird” to arrange cannabis shipments, which they called “Cali”.
Some of the cannabis was imported inside boilers imported from Poland to the UK, the court said.
The pair acknowledged a conspiracy to import Class B cannabis into the UK from Poland and Spain and a conspiracy to transfer criminal money between March 10 and July 3 last year .
Judge Rosa Dean sentenced each to 28 months in prison, saying, “What a waste of all that talent, to be sitting at Wormwood Scrubs.”
The plot involved a successful import and a second attempt, totaling 28 kg, the court said.
Prosecutor Genevieve Reed said the money laundering charge was linked to a debt of £ 98,000, the value of the drugs and the use of Bitcoin to buy cannabis.
The network, used by thousands of criminals around the world, was dismantled by law enforcement last year after being hacked by French investigators.
Nines has previously been jailed for 18 months for possession of cannabis with the intention of providing it.
The father of two was named Best Hip-Hop Group at the Mobo Awards last year and was celebrating their third chart-topping studio release, Crabs In A Bucket.
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Source: www.times-series.co.uk
This notice was published: 2021-10-01 16:44:21
