Five men convicted for running major County Lines drug network in Watford
Five men have been convicted for trafficking Class A and B drugs across Watford
Five men have been convicted for their involvement in a sophisticated county lines drug operation responsible for trafficking Class A and B drugs across Watford.
The men — Shakir Bugembe, Rajwan Miah, Imad Lamin, Jakub Hostacny, and Rahim Ssenyonga — were all linked to the "Tony Stark line", a drug supply network that operated between April and December 2024.
While four of the men had already pleaded guilty to various drug offences, Bugembe was found guilty by a jury at St Albans Crown Court on Wednesday, 30 July. The jury returned its verdict after just 90 minutes of deliberation. Bugembe was convicted of conspiring to supply Class A drugs including MDMA, cocaine, heroin (diamorphine), and LSD, as well as Class B substances ketamine and cannabis.
The investigation began in August 2024, when officers from Hertfordshire Constabulary attended the Holiday Inn in Watford’s Clarendon Road in connection with a missing teenage girl from London. Inside a hotel room, police found the missing girl alongside Hostacny and Lamin. A search of the room uncovered various drugs — including 2C-B, MDMA, cannabis, LSD and cocaine — with an estimated street value of £2,000.
This discovery triggered a large-scale investigation by the force’s County Lines Investigation Unit. In December 2024, officers executed coordinated raids at properties in Watford and Hounslow. At the Arliss Court address in Watford, Hostacny and Lamin were arrested. Officers also found £6,000 in cash, drug paraphernalia, and a mobile phone linked to the Tony Stark line. That same day, Miah was arrested at an address in Walnut Tree Close, Hounslow, where cocaine, MDMA, cannabis, THC and ketamine — worth over £8,500 — were seized.
Later that day, Bugembe was stopped and searched on Exchange Road in Watford. He was found with cash and a mobile phone used for drug deals. A subsequent search at a property in Sligo House, Watford, led to the recovery of more Class A and B drugs, including crack cocaine, heroin, ketamine, MDMA, cocaine, LSD and cannabis — all with a combined estimated street value of between £27,000 and £28,000.
As a result of the coordinated enforcement, Bugembe, Hostacny, Lamin and Miah were all charged and remanded in custody. In January 2025, a further warrant was executed at Frithwood Avenue in Northwood, where Ssenyonga was arrested and later charged in connection with the same investigation.
Detective Inspector Grant Finnie, who leads Hertfordshire Constabulary’s County Lines Investigation Unit, said: “Our work to dismantle this drugs line means we have eliminated a large amount of Class A and B drugs from the streets of Watford — something we’re confident will have a positive impact on the levels of associated crime in the town. And that’s exactly what we come to work for.”
He added: “It’s no secret that county lines drug gangs pose a significant threat to communities, especially to young people and those who are vulnerable. We rely on information from the public to be our extra pairs of eyes and ears on the streets. Help us to rid your community of drugs and related crime by reporting information to us. You can help us make a difference.”