Drug dealer must repay a fortune

THE man at the head of an Oldham drugs gang has been given four weeks to pay back almost half a million pounds.

Mohammed Farid (39), of Wellington Road, has been ordered by Manchester Crown Court to hand back over £472,000 - and if he fails to do so in 28 days will face an extra three years and nine months in prison... and still be liable to pay.

Farid is currently serving almost 18 years for drugs and money-laundering offences, which earned him more than £1,249,000.

Officers found Farid had houses on Wellington Road and Lorne Street, Oldham. The confiscation order also took into account his business The Big Cafe in Silver Street; £102,000 in bank accounts, £75,000 in vehicles and another £34,000.

Senior financial investigator Adrian Ladkin said: “He was driving around in prestige cars, living in a luxury detached house and had managed to squirrel away more than £100,000.

“He enjoyed the trappings of his criminality but now is serving close to 20 years in prison.

“He will leave prison a much older and far poorer man.”

Farid was arrested following an investigation into an organised crime gang suspected of drug dealing across Oldham. It became apparent he was at the head of the group.

During the operation, 27 kilos of heroin, a kilo of cocaine and three cannabis farms were recovered, with an estimated total street value of £2.5m.

He was sentenced to 17 years and 11 months in prison in June; eight members of his crime gang were jailed for a total of more than 46 years.