Stevenage county lines drug dealers jailed
Police say the three men 'exploited vulnerable people'
Three people who ran a county lines drug network in Stevenage have been jailed for a combined total of more than 14 years.
The three men were arrested between September and December 2022, following an investigation by Hertfordshire Constabulary’s Operation Mantis* team. They were charged with operating the ‘Mick and Ranger’ line which supplied crack cocaine and heroin to Stevenage and surrounding areas.
The three men pleaded guilty at St Albans Crown Court on Friday 23 June 2023:
- Mukim Ahmed, aged 41, of no fixed address was sentenced to six years and three months for conspiracy to supply class A drugs and possession of a bladed article.
- Jibran Azam, aged 32, of Sish Close, Stevenage, was sentenced to five years and seven months for conspiracy to supply class A drugs.
- Nadeem Younas, aged 45, of no fixed address was sentenced to two years and ten months for conspiracy to supply class A drugs.
Detective Sergeant Chris Cowell, from Hertfordshire Constabulary’s Operation Mantis team, said: “The trio ran the ‘Mick and Ranger’ line, which supplied class A drugs to the Stevenage area. The disruption of this line will make a significant impact on drug supply and associated crime in the town. It’s also another county line that has been shut down, sending a strong message to would-be drug dealers that they will be caught and jailed.
“In addition to spreading drugs and crime across communities, these gangs exploit vulnerable people, coercing people into providing bases for dealers to operate or to act as distributers themselves. They often use young people to handle drugs and money, drawing them deeper into gang affiliation that often leads to violence and abuse. If you know that a gang is operating in your neighbourhood your information can help us protect the young and vulnerable and get drugs off the streets of Hertfordshire.”