Ten men have been jailed for a combined total of more than 85 years following a long-running police investigation into an industrial-scale operation supplying wholesale quantities of cocaine and cannabis across West Yorkshire.
West Yorkshire Police said the organised crime group was based around Halifax but maintained connections stretching into Huddersfield, Middlesbrough, Blackpool, Bradford and other areas.
The investigation centred on two drugs distribution hubs operated by Mohammed Hussain, 33, of Lemington Avenue, Halifax, with assistance from his right-hand man Zahid Shakoor, 34, of Hornby Terrace.
Two Halifax Distribution Hubs
Police said Hussain operated one hub from a flat in the Holmefield area of Halifax and another from premises on Saville Park Road.
Investigators established that the sites were being used to manage stock levels, transactions, distribution and the repackaging of drugs, with Hussain regularly seen meeting couriers and customers.
Hussain and Shakoor were found at both addresses during the investigation, while digital evidence was used to establish their wider roles within the organised crime group.
Cocaine, Cannabis And £26,970 Recovered
Hussain was arrested in November 2024 following an exchange which resulted in police recovering 4kg of cocaine, 20kg of cannabis and £26,970 in cash.
Further searches connected to the investigation uncovered two stolen shotguns and what police described as industrial-scale drugs paraphernalia.
Following Hussain’s arrest, the wider operation was disrupted and other members of the group were subsequently arrested.
Sentences At Bradford Crown Court
The defendants appeared at Bradford Crown Court on October 30, where ten men received immediate custodial sentences.
Allah Yaar, 35, of Haigh Road, Lindley, Huddersfield, was jailed for 14 years and three months for two counts of conspiracy to supply cocaine, conspiracy to supply cannabis and conspiracy to possess criminal property.
Zahid Shakoor, 34, of Hornby Terrace, Halifax, was sentenced to 13 years for conspiracy to supply cocaine, conspiracy to supply cannabis and conspiracy to possess criminal property.
Muhammed Ahmed Khan, 36, of Lunedale Avenue, Middlesbrough, was jailed for 10 years for conspiracy to supply cocaine and conspiracy to possess criminal property.
Mohammed Hussain, 33, of Lemington Avenue, Halifax, received a 12-year sentence for conspiracy to supply cocaine, conspiracy to supply cannabis, possession of a firearm without a firearm certificate, possession of a shotgun and possession of criminal property.
Mohammed Rana, 57, of Alwen Avenue, Huddersfield, was jailed for five years for conspiracy to possess criminal property and fraud by false representation.
Joseph Ali, 27, of Highcroft Avenue, Blackpool, was sentenced to five years and seven months for conspiracy to supply cocaine.
Mohammed Nadeem, 44, of Winchester Road, Middlesbrough, received nine years and six months for conspiracy to supply cocaine and conspiracy to possess criminal property.
Jordan Barker, 42, of Denbigh Avenue, Thornton-Cleveleys, Lancashire, was sentenced to four years and three months for conspiracy to supply cocaine and conspiracy to possess criminal property.
Naveed Iqbal, 36, of Reservoir Road, Halifax, was jailed for eight years and one month for conspiracy to supply cocaine.
Ajmeer Miah, 22, of Gainsford Road, Sheffield, received four years for conspiracy to supply cocaine and conspiracy to possess criminal property.
Eleventh Defendant Given Suspended Sentence
Zulfazah Khaliq Hussain, 42, of Washington Street, Bradford, was sentenced to 12 months’ imprisonment suspended for 24 months.
He had been convicted of transferring criminal property and failing to comply with a Section 49 Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act notice.
His sentence means that although 11 defendants were sentenced in connection with the case, ten were jailed immediately.
Police Say Operation Drove Wider Criminality
Detective Inspector Kevin Daly, of West Yorkshire Police’s Force Precision team, described the case as a major investigation into large-scale Class A drug supply.
He said organised crime groups involved in drug markets can fuel associated violence, exploitation and intimidation in local communities.
Police said firearms are frequently used by organised crime groups to maintain control over drug markets and urged communities to continue providing intelligence about suspected drug dealing and organised crime.
Anyone with information about drug supply or organised crime can contact West Yorkshire Police on 101 or report information anonymously through Crimestoppers.
