Birmingham drug dealers jailed over County Lines network
Two men have been jailed for a total of 15 years and 10 months.
Two drug dealers have been jailed after an illegal Class A supply line operating between Birmingham and Worcestershire was brought down by West Midlands Police.
Abbas Iqbal, aged 29, was said to be at the heart of a crack cocaine and heroin network - known as the Max line - which operated earlier this summer.
It was busted by the County Line Taskforce following investigations involving extensive phone enquiries.
It was discovered Iqbal changed mobile phones in an attempt to avoid being traced back to deals and associates.
He was arrested in Great Barr in July, and a search of his home found extensive recent renovations despite claiming he was unemployed.
Police also unearthed more than £30,000 in cash from the property.
Drugs and equipment used in the preparation process were discovered, along with a variety of mobile phones linking him to the supply line.
Iqbal was linked to an apartment in Digbeth and after executing a warrant officers found an associate - Hassan Rahman - inside.
Iqbal, from Raeburn Road, Great Barr, pleaded guilty to being involved in the supply of Class A drugs and was jailed for 11 years at Birmingham Crown Court on Monday (18 December).
Hassan Rahman, aged 21, of Frederick Road, Edgbaston, also admitted the same offence and was jailed for four years and 10 months.
West Midlands Police launched Operation Target earlier this year in a stand against serious and organised crime offences – from drug dealing and burglary, to cyber-crime and fraud - as part of ongoing work to catch offenders and keep residents safe.
Hear all the latest news from across the West Midlands on the hour, every hour, on 103.1 and 97.2FM (Wolverhampton, Black Country and Shropshire), 96.4FM (Birmingham), 97 and 102.9FM (Coventry and Warwickshire), 97.6FM, 102.8FM and 96.7FM (Herefordshire and Worcestershire), DAB, at freeradio.co.uk, and on the Free Radio app.