Three men have been sentenced to a combined total of thirteen years and six months in prison after a proactive investigation dismantled a high-volume cocaine supply network in Maidstone.
The convictions follow a year-long operation by Kent Police CID into the “Vito Line,” a dedicated mobile phone operation used to coordinate the wholesale distribution of Class A drugs to local dealers.
The investigation reached a climax on June 30, 2025, when officers intercepted Vitlum Hasanaj as he disembarked a flight at Stansted Airport. Simultaneously, his brother, Kreshnik Hasanaj, was apprehended in a vehicle at a nearby restaurant where authorities seized £1,230 in cash. Both men were found in possession of mobile devices containing incriminating messages and video evidence detailing the large-scale supply of cocaine.
The police operation initially gained momentum on May 2, 2025, when plain-clothes officers arrested three associates in Brunswick Street and recovered nearly 100 deals of cocaine. Subsequent forensic analysis of the seized phones identified Vitlum Hasanaj as the primary operator of the “Vito Line.” Further enforcement action on June 4 led to the arrest of Gezim Dollapaj in Hastings Road, after officers witnessed a suspected drug transaction. Dollapaj was found to be acting as a courier for the Hasanaj brothers, delivering narcotics to multiple addresses across the region.
Kreshnik Hasanaj, 27, and Vitlum Hasanaj, 36, were both sentenced to five years’ imprisonment at Maidstone Crown Court on March 20, 2026. Their associate, 41-year-old Gezim Dollapaj, received a sentence of three years and six months. Although all three defendants—who are Albanian nationals—pleaded not guilty, they were convicted by a jury following an eight-day trial.
Detective Inspector Matt Lynch said:
‘These two brothers were running a significant criminal enterprise and making a large profit while bringing cocaine into Maidstone. They thought they could remain anonymous by using others to deal the drugs but were overconfident and had not accounted for the efforts of our dedicated officers.
‘These two men along with their associates brought misery to local families affected by drug abuse and are responsible for the offences committed by their customers. Their prison sentences are well deserved and entirely justified.’