Southampton heroin and crack cocaine drug gang taken down

Officers managed to bring down the Zee network, which had been a scourge in the Newtown area of the city from March 2022 to January 2023.

More than 1kg of Class A drugs were seized by police from the gang: 2,000 individual wraps and larger packages which had a street value of £110,000.

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Police said much higher quantities had been supplied during their peak operation.

Cash to the value of £4110 was also seized.

Mahmood was the kingpin of the gang (Image: Hampshire & Isle of Wight Constabulary)Detective Sergeant Claire Smith said: “We hope that Southampton residents will be reassured to hear that this drugs gang is now behind bars.

“Officers involved in this case worked tirelessly to dismantle this drugs conspiracy and I am pleased that the five people involved have now been brought to justice for their crimes."

Acting on intelligence, police raided an address in Derby Road in June last year and seized a 'significant quantity' of Class A and Class B drugs, as well as discovering a business card advertising the drugs line.

Thomas Jennings Joyce (Image: Hampshire & Isle of Wight Constabulary)The card and the drugs were swabbed for fingerprints and were forensically analysed - leading police to focus on gang kingpin Daniel Mahmood and his henchman Thomas Jennings Joyce.

Mahmood was arrested in October 2022 and an address on Argyle Road was searched - revealing several mobile phones, cannabis, various drugs paraphernalia and £2500 in cash hidden in a box in the garden.

Analysis of one of the phones was confirmed to be the number linked to the Zee drug line.

Daniel Baker (Image: Hampshire & Isle of Wight Constabulary)In December 2022 Jennings-Joyce and Mahmood's right-hand man, Daniel Baker, were both arrested and more Class A drugs were found.

Paul Moschakis and Lorraine Smith were also arrested for their involvement in the line.

All five pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply crack cocaine, heroin and cannabis.

Paul Moschakis (Image: Hampshire & Isle of Wight Constabulary)

At Southampton Crown Court on Wednesday, Mahmood, 29, of Argyle Road, was sentenced to seven and a half years in prison while Baker, 28, was sentenced to five and a half years.

Moschakis, 39, of Northam Road, and Jennings Joyce, 29, of Derby Road, were both sentenced to 40 months and 32 months respectively for their involvement.

Smith, 37, of The Avenue, will be sentenced at a later date.

DS Smith said: “The disruption of this gang is another of many recent successes for the district.

"We continue to encourage anyone who has information about drugs supply in their neighbourhood to report this to police, as this helps us build up an evidential picture of the issues affecting your area.”