A London judge involved in a drug supply network dealing with heroin and crack cocaine in the city has been sentenced to prison. Purshotam Dhillon, aged 59, provided a front of respectability by allowing gang leader Hardeep Thind to use his residence in Hounslow, west London, for drug-related activities, including storing drugs and money.

Dhillon, who presided over courts in Ealing, Feltham, and Uxbridge, aided Thind in maintaining the “Hadi” drug line, which distributed heroin and crack cocaine while Thind was incarcerated. Dhillon, along with Thind, Bikramjit Brar, 46, and Leandrea Lynch, 49, both from Hayes, were all sentenced for their roles in the drug operation.

Dhillon received a seven-year prison term, Thind (aka Harry Singh) was sentenced to 12 years, Brar was imprisoned for three years and four months, and Lynch was given a suspended sentence of two and a half years. Detective Inspector Mark Gavin, from the Met’s Specialist Crime division, stated that the investigation exposed an organized crime network responsible for supplying significant amounts of class A drugs in London.

The Metropolitan Police initiated the investigation into the “Hadi” drug line in January 2024, identifying Thind as the central figure. Thind, serving a 17-year sentence for drug-related offenses and possession of a firearm, continued to run operations from prison using a mobile phone and expanded the network upon release. Dhillon, described as a drug user, played a crucial role, while Brar was involved in drug distribution and Lynch served as a courier.

The arrests were made during coordinated police operations on July 1 last year, where officers found a van associated with Thind, containing a substantial amount of heroin parked outside Dhillon’s residence. Drugs worth £174,000 were seized, with evidence of drug packaging found inside the property. Singh and Brar admitted to involvement in drug supply, while Dhillon and Lynch were convicted after trial.