Kentish Gazette Canterbury & District
Police seek pair handed long jail terms for armed drugs raid
Police are hunting two men after they were found guilty of being part of an armed gang who raided a house packed with cannabis plants and then drove at police as they attempted to make their escape.
Following the conviction and sentencing earlier this month of two men, a further two were found guilty at Canterbury Crown Court. Reneo Shehu, 20, and Androen Lafetaj, 23, were sentenced to time behind bars but neither was in court.
The sentences follow dramatic scenes in the early hours of November 2, 2016, when neighbours of a property in Edgar Road called police after hearing sounds of banging and smashing glass.
A group of men were seen loading items into a Ford Transit van outside the house. And when police approached, the van mounted the pavement and drove at one of the officers – clipping them in the process.
The burglars abandoned the van in Haverlock Street and then split up to try to lose the pursuing police officers.
Two were found and arrested in Duck Lane – Kerem Bedensel, 28, whose details were found in the abandoned van, and Shehu.
Shehu was found in possession
‘Bringing weapons, including an illegal firearm, was a very serious statement’
of two containers of cocaine.
A police dog found the other two men, Osman Elmi, 26 of Finsbury Road, Wood Green, and Lafetaj, 23, of no fixed address, as they hid under vehicles in Queningate car park.
Found next to Lafetaj on the ground was a Beretta handgun.
As officers continued to search the area, further items were found that had been discarded when the men scattered, including gloves, hats, a hunting knife, mobile phones and more tubes of cocaine.
Upon investigation, the property they had raided was found to include cannabis plants and cultivation equipment.
In his absence, Lafetaj was found guilty of aggravated burglary, possession of a firearm and possession of cocaine.
He was sentenced to 14 years in prison.
Shehu, of no fixed address, also failed to appear in court, and was found guilty of aggravated burglary and possession of cocaine. He was sentenced to seven years and six months in prison.
Police are now searching for both men.
Earlier this month, Elmi was found guilty of burglary, and sentenced to 12 months behind bars.
Bedensel, of Partridge Way, Wood Green, was found guilty of burglary, dangerous driving, and driving while disqualified. He was sentenced to a total of 18 months in prison, and received a driving ban of three years.
At the time of sentencing, investigating officer DC David Friend said: “These four men had organised to travel down to Canterbury from north London to commit this burglary.
“We believe they were drawn to the property due to the cannabis cultivation.
“Bringing weapons, including an illegal firearm, was a very serious statement and one which could have had tragic repercussions.
“Fortunately, they were found and arrested quickly and the firearm was taken away before it could cause any harm.
“In the eyes of the law there will never be a legitimate reason for carrying such a firearm, and I think the verdicts confirm that.”