LI T H U A N I A N man described as the "brains" behind a gang dealing heroin on the streets of Belfast has been jailed for 21 months.
Gintas Vengalis (38), a leading member of a crime gang known as 'The Russians', admitted three charges including being concerned in the supply of the class-A drug.
Also in the dock at Belfast Crown Court was fellow Lithuanian Roman Michailov (23), who pleaded guilty to supplying heroin. Described as a "runner", Michailov was also jailed for a year but has already served the sentence on remand. He will be extradited to Lithuania.
Prosecutor Philip Henry said the pair were arrested after two undercover PSNI officers posed as heroin users.
The court heard that after calling a mobile number given to them, the officers met Michailov in central Belfast on February 21 last year.
They made their way to an entry between Primark and Tesco, where Michailov took four wraps of heroin worth £100 from his mouth.
The prosecutor said Vengalis, of Tavanagh Street in south Belfast, was the person who answered the calls before sending runners out to deliver the drugs and collect the money.
After the officers asked to buy £700 worth of the drug, they met him in a city centre pub where he bought them a drink and told them he had to be careful because he was suspicious of police.
The court heard that once Vengalis was satisfied they were "bona fide drugs purchasers" another man came in and handed the drugs over in 28 wraps.
Vengalis was arrested on April 2. When the property in which he was staying was searched police found two bags of the class-C drug MEC - similar to mephedrone - thrown from the rear of the house.
Michailov's barrister said Michailov became involved shortly after arriving in Belfast, adding: "He was sleeping rough and was homeless. He met a number of Lithuanians who offered him accommodation and as a consequence of that he became involved in these offences."
A barrister for Vengalis said that while he accepted his client had a leading role, at the time of his arrest he was living with "very, very precious little trappings of wealth".
Judge Gordon Kerr QC said: "This was an undercover operation to attempt to deal with the growing endemic in dealing in class-A drugs in the centre of Belfast."
He said that "a custodial sentence automatically ensues when dealing with class-A drugs".
Detective Inspector Pete Mullan said last night: "These convictions are as a result of a patient and professional police investigation and will go some way to show
that Northern Ireland is a hostile environment for drugs gangs and dealers.
"I would appeal to anyone who has any information about the supply or use of illegal drugs to pass that information to police on 101 or alternatively to the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111."
* 'RUNNER': Roman Michailov (23)