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Drug Trafficker Sentenced to 15 Years; Operation Dismantled

3/20/2026

50 4 Full Breakdown

Summary

Story summary

Bertie Payne, 30, of Birchington, was sentenced to 15 years in prison for drug trafficking.
He led a group supplying 24 kg cocaine, 10 kg ketamine, and 5,000 ecstasy tablets in east Kent from August 2024 to January 2025.
Payne used a luxury watch business as a front and created fake invoices to launder money.
The operation involved seven men and has now been dismantled.

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Story summary

Bertie Payne, 30, of Birchington, was sentenced to 15 years in prison for drug trafficking.
He led a group supplying 24 kg cocaine, 10 kg ketamine, and 5,000 ecstasy tablets in east Kent from August 2024 to January 2025.
Payne used a luxury watch business as a front and created fake invoices to launder money.
The operation involved seven men and has now been dismantled.