LONDON MAGISTRATE JAILED FOR AIDING DRUG SUPPLY OPERATION

Purshotam Dhillon, a magistrate who sat in courts across London, has been sentenced to seven years in prison for helping to run a drug supply operation. Dhillon allowed gang boss Hardeep Thind to use his home in Hounslow, west London, as a base for distributing heroin and crack cocaine. He stored drugs and cash at the property whilst serving as a magistrate at courts in Ealing, Feltham and Uxbridge. Three other defendants were sentenced alongside him on Thursday for their involvement in the operation.

Thind, also known as Harry Singh, received a 12-year sentence for directing the "Hadi" drugs line whilst serving a 17-year prison sentence for a previous conspiracy to supply heroin and cocaine. Bikramjit Brar, from Hayes, was jailed for three years and four months, whilst Leandrea Lynch, also from Hayes, received a two-and-a-half-year suspended sentence. The Metropolitan Police began investigating the drugs line in January 2024 and identified Thind as the central figure. Thind was released from prison in October 2024 and continued to expand the operation after his release.

Detective Inspector Mark Gavin stated the investigation had uncovered a "well-established organised crime network" responsible for supplying significant quantities of class A drugs across London. Gavin said the team's work had enabled them to "identify, disrupt and dismantle" the group. He noted that Dhillon's position as a serving magistrate meant he had "abused a position of trust in the most serious way" and said the case demonstrated that "no-one is above the law".