A 59-year-old London magistrate, Purshotam Dhillon, has been sentenced to seven years in prison for his involvement in a drug supply operation that distributed heroin and crack cocaine in the city. Dhillon provided a veneer of respectability by allowing gang leader Hardeep Thind to use his home in Hounslow, west London, as a hub for storing drugs and money.
Dhillon, who presided over courts in Ealing, Feltham, and Uxbridge, aided Thind in maintaining the “Hadi” drugs line while Thind was incarcerated. Along with Thind, two other defendants, Bikramjit Brar and Leandrea Lynch, both from Hayes, were also sentenced for their roles in the drug distribution scheme.
Thind, operating under the alias Harry Singh, received a 12-year prison term, Brar was imprisoned for three years and four months, and Lynch was given a two-and-a-half-year suspended sentence. The Metropolitan Police’s Detective Inspector Mark Gavin commended the extensive investigation that uncovered a well-established criminal network responsible for distributing large quantities of class A drugs in London.
The investigation, which began in January 2024, targeted the “Hadi” drugs line, identifying Thind as the central figure. Despite serving a 17-year prison sentence for drug-related offenses and possession of a firearm, Thind continued to direct operations from prison using a mobile phone. Dhillon, described as a key lieutenant, Brar involved in drug distribution, and Lynch acting as a runner, were arrested in coordinated police raids in July last year.
During the arrests, officers found a van linked to Thind parked outside Dhillon’s residence, containing a substantial amount of heroin valued at £174,000. The police seized the drugs and discovered evidence of drug packaging activities inside Dhillon’s house. While Singh and Brar pleaded guilty to drug supply charges, Dhillon and Lynch were convicted after a trial.
The case serves as a reminder that no one is above the law, even those in positions of trust like Dhillon. The Metropolitan Police emphasized the importance of holding individuals accountable for criminal activities that harm communities.