Notorious London gangster The General is jailed again - after all Home Office attempts to deport him fail

By PATRICK HARRINGTON, UK NEWS REPORTER Published: 12:44, 13 April 2026 | Updated: 12:45, 13 April 2026 A notorious London gangster dubbed 'The General' has been jailed again - after repeated Home Office attempts to deport him failed. Serial offender Joland Giwa, 36, was caught with around £17,000 worth of drugs when police raided his home in Risca, South Wales. Giwa grew up terrorising the streets of Croydon as part of the 'Don't Say Nothing' gang, or 'DSN' for short, after arriving in the UK aged ten. He boasted on YouTube about his life of crime including 'shanking' his rivals - slang for stabbing. Giwa was first jailed in 2009 for a string of offenses, and later moved to Newport in the hope it would sever his crime links with the capital - but failed to stay on the right side of the law. The UK government has repeatedly tried to deport the criminal, believed to be from either Nigeria or Sierra Leone, but has been blocked for 17 years because neither country would take him. Giwa and his twin brother landed at Heathrow in 1999, aged ten, without any parent, guardian or documentation.  He was granted indefinite leave to remain in 2005 - but that was withdrawn after his first conviction, and the deportation process began in 2009. Serial offender Joland Giwa, 36, has been jailed for three years and 11 months after being found with a £17,000 drugs haul Giwa arrived in the UK as a 10-year-old and grew up terrorising the streets of Croydon as part of a gang But Sierra Leonne has consistently denied that he has any ties to the country, and Nigeria has also refused to take him. Giwa's barrister said the defendant had been born in Sierra Leone as a young child and had struggled with 'cultural barriers' since moving to the UK. His offences continued after he was sent to Newport, with a conviction in 2015 for robbing a branch of the William Hill bookmakers. Now, he will be returning to jail after being caught with the drugs haul. Prosecutor Nigel Fryer said police followed Giwa's car to his home in nearby Risca - where they found the haul of class A drugs in his rucksack.  Mr Fryer said officers seized 126g of crack cocaine worth £13,500, 16.45g of heroin valued at £1,645 and 7.85g of cocaine priced at £700 - as well as £2,040 in cash. Giwa admitted possession with intent to supply crack cocaine, heroin, and cocaine, possession of criminal property, and breaching a suspended sentence. Cardiff Crown Court heard he has nine previous convictions for 16 offences. Giwa was moved to Wales after being released from his first prison stint, but has continued to offend Both Sierra Leone and Nigeria have refused to accept Giwa, meaning the Home Office has been unable to deport him Hashim Salmman, defending, said Giwa, now a father-of-four, had struggled growing up in the UK. He said he does not have indefinite leave to remain in the country and so is unable to work or claim state benefits, and had lost an infant son while in custody. Judge Christopher Felstead jailed Giwa for three years and 11 months. Giwa was initially moved to a bail hostel Newport after he was jailed for 27 months in February 2009, having committed a string of robberies and thefts. Despite promising to make a fresh start, he was jailed for seven-and-a-half years in 2015 for a terrifying robbery at a William Hill bookies in Ringland, Newport. The decision to house Giwa in Wales drew outrage from politicians who claimed he had been 'dumped' without any consultation. The late former Labour MP Paul Flynn said at the time: 'There was outrage when a man described by a court and the police as so "dangerous" they didn't want him in London was sent to Newport. 'Since coming to this city he has committed violent robbery. 'Newport has a long tradition of proud achievement in assimilating immigrants, but if you start putting excessive numbers in a place you get excessive pressures. 'There ought to be a more even spread across the country.' After being freed from his robbery term, Giwa was again jailed for four years and one month in April 2020 after he pleaded guilty to trafficking drugs in Newport. He was caught selling drugs at a children's play park after arriving to carry out the deal on an electric scooter. The defendant admitted possession with intent to supply heroin, crack cocaine and cocaine. A Home Office spokesperson said: 'We are reforming human rights laws and replacing the broken appeals system to scale up deportations and stop foreign criminals and illegal migrants from gaming the system. 'All foreign national offenders who receive a prison sentence in the UK are referred for deportation at the earliest opportunity.' No comments have so far been submitted. 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