Drugs con pair sentenced

AN undercover policewoman involved in an operation to crack down on Oldham drug peddling was fleeced by two supposed dealers who sold her wraps of brick dust.

The officer paid Attif Ali £20 for what she thought were wraps of heroin after assuming he and Imran Khan were selling drugs She had seen the two men on a bench in Oldham town centre in the early hours of last October 29 and discussed buying drugs.

Ali (28) handed over the wraps, then gave her a contact number and made arrangements to carry out future deals.

Mark Fireman defending, said: “It was a one-off con-trick. There never was any stash of drugs.”

Ali, of Elgin Road, Glodwick, and Khan (29), of Lincoln Street, Werneth, pleaded guilty to offering to supply controlled drugs, but Judge Angela Nield told them they were guilty, to an extent, of fraud.

Sentencing them to suspended 12-month prison terms, she said they took advantage of their knowledge to dupe the officer.

Mr Fireman had told the court that Ali had previously had a drugs habit but was determined to turn his life round.

“Both men were in difficult personal circumstances at the time, but have now resolved them”, he said. “They were very foolish. They took an opportunity to make £20.”

In addition to his 12-month sentence, Ali was given a four-month concurrent sentence, also suspended, for possession of cannabis found at his home. He also do 120 hours of unpaid community work.