A university graduate from West London has been sentenced after being caught dealing cocaine in a Welsh town, claiming a London crime gang threatened him and his family into the trade.
The Arrest and Discovery
On May 27, 2023, police in Carmarthen town centre were alerted by CCTV operators to a suspected drug deal. Officers approached Romario Buzi, then aged 20, who immediately ran away. After a foot chase, he was caught and searched.
Police found £452 in cash and six half-gram deals of cocaine on his person. Buzi refused to give officers the PIN for his mobile phone. A subsequent search of his home address in Harefield, Uxbridge, uncovered a further 52 wraps of cocaine, weighing scales, and a small amount of cannabis.
Claims of Coercion and Modern Slavery Probe
During police interview, Buzi made serious allegations about the origins of his criminal activity. He claimed he had been approached by a gang in London, forced into a car, and told that he and his family would be harmed if he did not deal drugs.
He described a clandestine operation where he would collect consignments of drugs 'from a bush', leaving the money he earned in the same location. However, the court heard his account was 'vague' on specific details.
These assertions triggered a modern slavery investigation to determine if Buzi was a victim of exploitation by an organised crime group. The probe did not result in a positive finding to support his claims.
Sentencing and Judge's Remarks
Romario Buzi, now 23 and with no prior convictions, pleaded guilty to possession of cocaine with intent to supply. At Swansea Crown Court, Judge Huw Rees told the graduate he had been a 'fool' and stated that those who peddle Class A drugs like cocaine 'richly deserve' imprisonment.
The judge said the appropriate sentence after a trial would have been three-and-a-half years. However, he cited an 'inexcusable delay' of 28 months between Buzi's arrest and charge, for which the prosecution apologised, and reduced the term to two-and-a-half years.
With a discount for his guilty plea, Buzi was ultimately sentenced to 22 months in prison, suspended for 12 months. He was also ordered to complete a rehabilitation course and undertake 180 hours of unpaid work.
His defence barrister, Jon Tarrant, said Buzi came from a solid background and had since finished university and started a career, describing the offence as a 'singular and isolated incident'. The judge advised Buzi not to be a fool again.
