An Ilford man is among eight members of an organised crime gang who were jailed yesterday (Tuesday) for a total of 42 years.

Nine men had previously appeared at Basildon Crown Court and pleaded guilty to involvement in conspiracy to supply cocaine and the conversion of a shotgun.

The men were arrested and charged by detectives from the Trident and Area Crime Command following an intelligence-led operation named Operation Kelpie.

Yesterday, eight were sentenced at Basildon, with another defendant due to be sentenced in September.

Nikhal Shastri, 22, of Wakefield Gardens, Ilford, was sentenced to 11 years for possession of a firearm with intent to cause others to fear unlawful violence, possession of a prohibited weapon and conspiracy to supply class A drugs namely crack cocaine.

Nigel Hammond, 29, of Ravenoak Way, Chigwell, was sentenced to four years and six months for supplying class A drugs namely crack cocaine.

Ugar Kuckukiravul, 30, a Turkish national of Suffolk House Yard, Brentwood was sentenced to five years for possession of a firearm with intent to cause others to fear unlawful violence and possession of a prohibited weapon.

Amaan Rob, 25, of Berkeley Road, Manor Park, was sentenced to five years for possession of a firearm with intent to cause others to fear unlawful violence and possession of a prohibited weapon.

Aaron Ellwood, 24, of Greenwell Road, Witham, Essex, was sentenced to eight years for possession of a firearm with intent to cause others to fear unlawful violence, possession of a prohibited weapon and conspiracy to supply class A drugs namely crack cocaine.

Lewis Marsh, 18, of Orchard Drive, Frinton-on-Sea, Essex was sentenced to three years and three months for possession of a prohibited weapon and conspiracy to supply class A drugs namely crack cocaine.

Jorden Hegg, 18, of Birch Close, Collier Row, was sentenced to three years and three months for conspiracy to supply class A drugs namely crack cocaine.

Jake Turton, 18, of Peake Avenue, Kirby Cross, Frinton-on-Sea, Essex, was sentenced to two years suspended sentence for conspiracy to supply class A drugs namely crack cocaine.

Stephen Hirst, 44, of Vaughan Williams Way, Brentwood, Essex will be sentenced in September at the same court.

The court heard detectives executed a search warrant on September 19 at the premises of NUE Prestige Ltd in Suffolk House Yard, Ashwells Road, Brentwood.

At the business premises – purportedly being used by a car hire company – officers recovered the sawn stock of a shot gun along with items for the shortening of a shotgun including files, along with £2,600 in cash and two canisters of CS gas.

CCTV showed Kucukiravul, Shastri, Ellwood, Rob and Marsh with the sawn-off shotgun earlier that day.

Kuckukiravul, who lived at the premises, was arrested.

Officers later found a loaded sawn-off single-barrelled shotgun and 19 shotgun cartridges hidden in the roof-space of an adjoining car port.

As other members of the gang were arrested, police recovered class A drugs, cash, phones and scales.

Det Insp Steve Meechan said: “We have a zero tolerance approach to firearm enabled criminality, gang crime and drug supply.

“The substantial custodial sentences handed down by the court today should act as a significant deterrent to those involved in these criminal gangs”