East London online drug dealers sentenced and unmasked

The Metropolitan Police says it dismantled the ring in east London which used various platforms online such as ‘World Pharmacy’, ‘Baked Bros’, ‘Baked Store’ and ‘Caliukvapes’ to gain an audience.

During an investigation between August 2022 to May 2023, a total of 88 items, including a “substantial” amount of controlled drugs were seized.

They also included cutting agents used to bulk out the drugs, scales, empty bottles, post office labels, drug ledgers and multiple mobile phones.

White blocks of drugs, with the Baked Store channel in the background (Image: Met Police)

The total value seized is estimated to be worth £153,743.

Customers who were subscribed to these channels on Telegram or WhatsApp could place orders and the Class A, B and C drugs would be discretely packaged and shipped via mail services, police said.

An investigation into the Baked Bros store channel, which had 3,300 subscribers, revealed adverts for drugs and a Snapchat account offering various substances - including cocaine, cannabis, LSD, ecstasy, magic mushroom pills, codeine, amphetamine and oxycontin.

Symon Karmolinski was sentenced (Image: Met Police)

Symon Karmolinski, 25, managed the day-to-day activities by overseeing the accounts, while his fiancé Amanda Bueser, 25, worked on the packaging, logo design and even passed on drug orders from her friends.

She even used her bank account to receive money from the drug operation.

Amanda Bueser (Image: Met Police)

Maciej Budzinski, 26, was employed to handle customer orders and was caught by officers on CCTV at the Collier Row Post Office when he sent out numerous parcels.

The Metropolitan Police said that Karmolinski frequently visited Budzinski at his home address in Dennington Road, Beckton, to collect bags of parcels and send them at post offices including Pier Parade in North Woolwich, Prince Regent Lane in Plaistow and East Ham High Street.

Warrants were carried out on May 22 last year at Dennington Road, Siviter Way in Dagenham, and Hainault Road in Leytonstone.

Appearing at Snaresbrook Crown Court last Friday (May 24), the defendants were sentenced.

Maciej Budzinski (Image: Met Police)

Budzinski, of Dennington Road, was sentenced to ten years and eight months imprisonment.

Karmolinski, of Siviter Way, was sentenced to five years and ten months imprisonment.

Bueser, of Siviter Way, was given a 15-months suspended prison sentence and told to complete 250 hours of unpaid work.

Det Insp Dave Mannell, who led the investigation, said: “The sentences handed down are the result of a detailed investigation into the supply of controlled drugs with a national customer base.

"We know about the link between drugs and violence, and that drives us to crack down on offenders and place them before the courts.

“The evidence gathered by my officers, during what has been a complex and extensive investigation, has ensured that a significant amount of drugs will now not be sold on the streets of London."