A council youth worker who was unmasked as a drug

A council youth worker who was unmasked as a drug baron with cocaine dealings worth pnds stlg 22 million was jailed for 15 years.

Colombian-born Jorge Guerra, a sports instructor for Lambeth Council, was caught passing a rucksack, containing pnds stlg one million in cash, to an associate in a McDonald’s carpark in Dagenham.

An address belonging to Guerra, 38, was later raided and police seized 90 kilos of cocaine with a street value of pnds stlg five million.

But coded records seized from Guerra’s home in Peckham revealed that the trafficker had dealt in a staggering 430 kilos of the drug – including the stash recovered – in just five months.

Guerra admitted conspiracy to supply cocaine, a class A drug, and was jailed for 15 years.

Dionisio Marti-Moscardo, 49, the Venezuelan who took possession of the rucksack containing pnds stlg one million in the McDonalds carpark was jailed for eight years after he admitted money laundering.

Inner London Crown Court heard how Randy Hernandez, 38, a Spaniard, was caught ‘minding’ the 90 kilo consignment of drugs at a house he rented from Guerra in (7) Woodcote Place, West Norwood.

Hernandez was jailed for seven years after he admitted possession of a class A drug with intent to supply.

Tom Kark, prosecuting, said: ‘This case involved the dealing in commercial quantities of cocaine by people at the top of the supply side of one of the major European drug rings.

‘The total number of packages received amounts to
430 kg of cocaine.

The value on the street of the imported drugs would be in excess of pnds stlg 22 million.

‘

The scale of Guerra’s operation was revealed by books of accounts written in Spanish showing how his gang had sold on massive quantity of drugs.

In Guerra’s notebooks ‘lechugas’ – Spanish for lettuces – was slang for US Dollars.

And reinas – meaning queens – signifies English pounds, Mr Kark explained.

A document found at Guerra’s home in Rother House, Peckham, showed there were 96 ‘putas in casa’ – which literally means ‘whores in the house.

‘

The word ‘whore’ was a coded reference to the kilos of cocaine found during the raid on November 27 this year, the court heard.

Thirteen mobile phones were also recovered from the address together with pnds stlg 13,500 which had been taped under a settee.

Some pnds stlg 3,000 had been left on top of a cupboard.

Guerra also used (12) Lowood Court in Crystal Palace as another storage depot for the drugs, Mr Kark said.

Mr Kark told the court: ‘Mr Guerra was a community interpreter for Lambeth and Lewisham health authorities, and he also worked as a youth worker for Lambeth.

‘

Guerra trained youngsters in the martial art of Tae-Kwan-Do for Lambeth, Mr Kark said.

Sentencing the men, Judge Charles Gibson said: ‘It is abundantly clear each one of you were involved to a variety of extents in a massive operation.

‘It has been said time and time again that the drugs trade, particularly on this scale, eats at the heart of this country’s health.

‘Sentences passed for involvement in such an operation must reflect that fact,’ the judge said.

Judge Gibson said he was satisfied that Guerra, who last lived at (7) Rother House, Peckham, had benefited to the tune of pnds stlg 4,997,772 from drug dealing.

The judge said it appears Guerra ‘was sucked into’ the operation after his family suffered threats at the hands of vicious members of drugs cartels in Colombia.

Sentencing him to 15 years, he judge said he took into account the fact Guerra ‘worked in this country for a decade or so in honest employment and helped other people especially in the field of sport.

‘But you were clearly trusted with very large sums of money and you were charged with organising the distribution of massive amounts of cocaine,’ Judge Gibson added.

Guerra was ordered to contribute his share of the address in Woodcote Place, West Norwood, worth pnds stlg 47,000 within three months or he would have an additional six months added to his sentence.

Marti-Moscardo, of (137) Langbourne Place, on the Isle of Dogs, benefited to the tune of pnds stlg 3,625,931 from his money laundering, the judge said.

He had to forfeit the pnds stlg 1,076,000 found in the rucksack.

Sentencing Marti-Moscardo to eight years, the judge said: ‘It is quite clear you were trusted as a custodian and a courier for very large sums of money.

‘

Jailing Hernandez, who last lived in (7) Woodcote Place, for seven years, Judge Gibson said he was a custodian to the extent of ‘providing safe accommodation’ for the drugs.

ends