A gang of heroin dealers from Derby, Belper and West Yorkshire have been jailed for a total of 50 years.
Brothers Mohammed Kabeer, Mohammed Jangir and Mohammed Shabir used relatives, including sons and nephews, to help them sell heroin in Derbyshire, having bought the A-class drug from associates in Bradford.
The operation even continued to be directed by Mohammed Kabeer while he was serving a prison sentence for possession of heroin with intent to supply.
Acting on intelligence about the activity of the relatives and their associates, officers from the East Midlands Special Operations Unit identified key members of the conspiracy and executed warrants at addresses in Derbyshire and West Yorkshire during March and November last year.
Detectives recovered heroin, most divided into small quantities prepared for sale, and several thousands of pounds in cash was also seized as evidence that the brothers and their associates were involved in the supply of Class A drugs.
It is estimated that the street value of the drugs recovered was £8,770.
In total, 11 people either pleaded or were found guilty of conspiracy to supply heroin, possession of heroin with intent to supply or being concerned in the supply of heroin.
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Mohammed Kabeer, 29, of Thornbury Drive, Bradford, admitted the charge of conspiracy to supply heroin and was jailed at Leicester Crown Court for seven years and four months.
Mohammed Jangir, 35, of St Mary’s Wharf Rd, Chester Green, also pleaded guilty to the conspiracy charge, as did Mohammed Shabir, 41, of the same address.
They were sentenced to six years and eight months in prison and two years in prison respectively.
Usman Shabir, 20, and Adnan Shabir 19, both of Darby Street, Normanton, the sons of Mohammed Shabir, both pleaded guilty to being concerned in the supply of heroin.
Usman also admitted possession of heroin with intent to supply and was jailed for three years. Adnan Shabir was jailed for two. The nephew of the three brothers, Shujahat Ashfaq 19, of Darby St, Normanton, admitted two counts of being concerned in the supply of heroin.
He was jailed for three years and four months.
Sohail Hussain, 23, also of Gathorne Street, Bradford, pleaded guilty to supplying heroin, as did Anas Waheed, 22, of the same address.
They were sentenced to four years and eight months and three years respectively.
Ben Hargreaves, 36, of Manor Road, Belper, who dealt the drugs in the Belper area, admitted to being concerned in the supply of heroin. He received a six-year prison sentence.
Ashfaq’s associate, Saqib Raja, 19, of Porter Road, Normanton, denied the charge of conspiracy to supply heroin, but was convicted in July, following a two-week trial at Leicester Crown Court, as was Sohail Hussain’s older brother, Rashid Hussain, 31, of Gathorne Street, Bradford. They were jailed for five years and seven years respectively.
Detective Chief Inspector Alan Mason, of the East Midlands Special Operations Unit, said: “The admissions of guilt and the convictions obtained at court are testament to the excellent work of the investigating officers in this case.
“It is also a first-class example of the collaboration work between the regional unit and our East Midlands police forces; in this case Derbyshire Police, who firstly brought this criminal group to our attention and later assisted us with enforcement activity.
“The conspiracy pervaded a tightly-knit network of relatives, and was overseen by individuals who would no doubt have had a considerable influence over other family members, even while one of those leading figures was serving a prison sentence for drugs offences.
“Nevertheless, the conspiracy was successfully detected and prosecuted, reinforcing the message that we will not tolerate the supply of illegal drugs in our communities, and those who attempt to do so will find there will be a very robust police response to their activities.”
