Two Birmingham men have been jailed for their part in a drug dealing and money laundering ring which had smuggled £5 million of heroin into Britain.
Nizakat Hussain, 21, from Albert Road, Aston, was said to have played a significant role in preparing the drugs for street sale at a ‘Bashing House’ in Bristol for the organised crime group, who had links with criminals abroad.
Atif Latif, 27, also from Albert Road, was jailed for three-and-a-half years after being convicted of two counts of possessing criminal property after being found with cash from the operation.
He had even continued to act as a courier for the ring after being arrested and interviewed by police in July 2011.
Hussain, who pleaded guilty to charges of conspiracy to possess a Class A drug with intent to supply and money laundering, was jailed for a total of six years.
Both appeared at Birmingham Crown Court along with Dervish Dervish, from Enfield, London, who was jailed for 13 years after being convicted of conspiracy to possess controlled drugs with intent to supply.
The 49-year-old had formerly been a pillar of his community, the court heard, but set up a fabrics business as a front for the operation in north London in 2011.
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Robert Davies, prosecuting, said Dervish even hired an employee who believed she was running a genuine firm, in a bid to cover the group’s tracks.
The smuggling operation was uncovered when officers from the National Crime Agency intercepted a van and found 12.8kg of heroin in July 2011.
Hussain was in the van and said to be acting as a conduit between other key players within the ring.
But Mr Davies said he was also linked to the adulteration of the drugs at the ‘bashing house’ in Bristol to make them suitable for sale.
He said: “He was not just running drugs from A to B, it was very hands on.”
Balbir Singh, defending Hussain, said: “He was brought into it by others and his lack of maturity and naivety would have played a part in him becoming involved.”
But His Honour Judge Murray Creed said evidence of Hussain’s involvement at the Bristol property – including the finding of fingerprints there, showed a direct connection with the drugs.
Dervish, described as a devoted husband and father, had been a key player, said the judge.
He said: “You set up a business for the purpose of bringing these drugs into the country. The delivery of 12.8 kilos, the packaging of which was broken down in your warehouse then put on sprinter vans to Bristol show a direct and significant involvement.”
The National Crime Agency’s Bristol Branch Commander Peter Smith said after the case: “This organised crime group was one of the key suppliers of heroin to the Birmingham and Bristol areas, with extensive contacts abroad in the Netherlands, Turkey and Pakistan.
“The investigation into this network was extremely complex and took a great deal of time and effort.
“We have worked closely with a number of police forces, including Avon & Somerset, Hertfordshire, Gloucestershire and West Midlands, and that co-operation has so-far led to the conviction of 13 individuals linked to this crime group.
“Working with our law enforcement colleagues we are determined to tackle the organised crime groups responsible for bringing illegal drugs onto our streets and devastating our communities.”
