Million-pound drugs ring cracked

GOTCHA . . . undercover police swooped after spotting Ali Shan during a drugs exchange

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‘Godfather of Oldham’ jailed
A DRUG dealer dubbed “The Godfather of Oldham” is behind bars today after a million-pound drugs ring he ran with his son was cracked by police.

Fazal Hussain headed up a sophisticated, large-scale and lucrative operation with his 22-year-old son Faisal, to flood the streets of Oldham with cocaine, heroin and cannabis.

He is among seven of nine gang members today starting prison terms totalling more than 35 years after sentences were handed out at Manchester’s Minshull Street Crown Court yesterday.

Doling out orders to a network of couriers and taxi drivers, the drug barons, of Cranbrook Street, sourced substances from around the country between April and November, 2009.

The court heard how an undercover mission, named Operation Liffey by Greater Manchester Police, had painstakingly traced phone calls and followed drug runs by taxi drivers.

Despite changing their pay-as-you-go mobiles regularly and living a fairly modest life, the father and son’s empire came tumbling down as they were charged with several charges of conspiracy to distribute drugs.

Father-of-three Fazal (43) launched the mission just weeks after walking out of prison in March, 2009, where he served time for possession and intent to supply Class A drugs from 2007.

When sentencing, judge Mushtaq Khokhar said: “Drugs cause misery and havoc in society. You only have to see those who appear in this court to see that.

“Addicts commit crimes because of them and members of the community are suffering at their hands.”

He told Fazal: “You would know from your own experience what drugs do to others. You had not learnt any lesson from the long sentence that had been imposed upon you. As soon as you came out you became involved again.”

The mission, kick-started when Oldham police discovered cannabis in the boot of a car, uncovered 7kg of heroin worth more than £700,000, 1kg of cocaine worth anything up to £598,000 and 15kg of cannabis with a street value of up to £150,000.

Pictures were recovered from Faisal’s phone of him posing next to high-value cars, including a Lamborghini, thought to be the exact car involved with a similar drugs gang last year.

Ring leader Fazal Hussain was handed a sentence totalling nine years and 11 months for conspiracy to supply cocaine and heroin and money laundering. His son Faisal was due to be sentenced today.

Afraq Ahmed (31), of Grendon Avenue, a taxi driver who was described as the next in line to the father-son team, was given a seven-year sentence, while Yasir Mahmood, (25), of Brompton Street, was given six years, both for conspiring to supply.

Oldham Chief Supt Tim Forber described it as a fantastic result.

He added: “It was a lucrative scheme and so to have stopped these criminals in their tracks has effectively run this gang out of business and disrupted the supply of drugs on to our streets.

“I hope it clearly demonstrates that we will relentlessly pursue drug dealers who operate in Oldham and that no matter who you are or what walk of life you are from, anyone involved in drugs will face time behind bars.”

Other members included Javid Iqbal (41), of Glen Road, another taxi driver who made trips to Birmingham; Michael West (22), of Hollin Hall Street, who acted as a stooge passenger; and Arfan Zahid (27), a savvy middle man. They were dealt five-and-a-half years, three-and-a-half years, and 15-month prison sentences respectively for conspiracy to supply.

Ali Shan (32), of Gainsborough Avenue, worked for Royton Cars. He was due to face sentencing today for collecting drugs.

Detective Sergeant Martin Hopkinson, from the Force Drugs Unit, said: “A number of officers worked extremely hard on this case.

“I would like to praise them for their diligence in helping to secure these convictions.

“The Hussains recruited taxi drivers to drop off drugs in a number of locations across the UK.

“It was clear from our investigations that the Hussains were the puppet masters, pulling the strings while lining their own pockets, but now their greed has caught up with them thanks to police.”