Jail for 'dangerous' drugs gang

Heroin with a street value of £400,000 along with handguns, bullets and £24,000 in cash was recovered by police during an 18-month operation.

The drug traffickers, who are from the Bradford and Staffordshire areas, were jailed at Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court.

Staffordshire Police described them as a "dangerous and organised" gang.

The first three arrests leading to Wednesday's sentences took place on the A500 in Stoke-on-Trent in September 2005.

Police found nearly 1kg of heroin when they stopped a Toyota Carina. Two more gang members were arrested in December before raids later that month in Leeds and Bradford.

During those raids 1.8kg of heroin, 95g of cocaine, two revolvers, one of them loaded, and one of the world's most powerful hand weapons, a Desert Eagle 0.357 magnum pistol complete with loaded magazine, was found at the home of Wazir Hussain in Higher Downs, Bradford.

Hussain, 30, who admitted conspiracy to supply heroin, conspiracy to supply cocaine and six firearms or ammunition charges, was jailed for 14 years.

The other gang members were:

• Mazafar Hussain, 23, of Lightwood Road, Normacott, Stoke-on-Trent, who was jailed for eight years for conspiracy to supply heroin
• Babir Hussain, 28, of Bankfield Road, Meir, Stoke-on-Trent, who was jailed for five years for conspiracy to supply heroin
• Alan John Bayard, 49, of Alberta Street, Normacott, who was jailed for five years for possession with intent to supply heroin
• Iftahar Hussain, 23, of Chaplin Road, Normacott, who was jailed for three years for possession with intent to supply heroin
• Redwan Jabar Khalie, 26, of no fixed abode, who was jailed for three years for possession with intent to supply heroin
• Mohammed Shafiq, 26, of Kirkham Road, Bradford, who was jailed for three years for being concerned with the supply of heroin

Det Ch Insp Laurie Whitby-Smith, head of Staffordshire Police's major crime unit, said: "They were part of a ring that supplied heroin between Stoke-on-Trent, Bradford and Leeds and, as shown by the weapons seized, were dangerous criminals involved in serious and organised crime.

"Today's sentences ensure a major supply chain has been disrupted, while key players are now off the streets and behind bars."

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