Birmingham men jailed for county lines offences
Three men have been jailed for a total of nine years and nine months.
Three men - including two from Birmingham - have been given custodial sentences totalling nine years and nine months for drug dealing on the ‘Pedro’ drugs line that operated into Malvern, Worcestershire.
Their sentences follow a major investigation into dealers selling heroin and crack cocaine to Class A drug users, which was launched in August.
The Pedro line was the name of the telephone number, or ‘deal line’, used to run the organised drug-dealing network.
The people involved were known to be targeting vulnerable drug users in a bid to gain access to their addresses and taking them over through fear and threats of violence - a practice known as cuckooing.
Those responsible were identified as Mohammed Dildar who was running the line and Samad Ali who was the street dealer. Both are from Birmingham.
An operation to arrest them was instigated and search warrants were gained for two addresses in Birmingham, and a third for an address in Kinver linked to Dildar.
On Monday 9 October, the three warrants were simultaneously executed.
In addition to this, a fourth address was identified in Elmley Close, Malvern, where one of the suspects (Ali) was believed to be based.
Dildar was arrested at the Kinver address and key evidence linking him to the drug line was recovered there.
Ali was arrested at the Elmley Close address where more key evidence was recovered, including a large quantity of cash, multiple mobile phones, and a knife.
Once taken to custody, Ali was found to have a large amount of heroin and crack cocaine hidden in his underwear.
In total, they seized class A drugs with an approximate street value of £900. In addition, the occupier of the Elmley Close address, Anthony Clarke was also arrested on suspicion of Class A drug supply offences.
All three defendants were charged and remanded into custody for drug supply offences. They all pleaded guilty at their first hearing. All three were sentenced at Worcester Crown Court on December 8 as follows:
- Mohammed Dildar, 27, of Ash Road, Birmingham, was sentenced to six years imprisonment for being concerned in the supply of heroin and crack cocaine between July and October this year.
- Samad Ali, 25, of Arthur Street, Birmingham, was sentenced to three years imprisonment for possession with intent to supply heroin and crack cocaine on 9 October.
- Anthony Clarke, 58, of Elmley Close, Malvern was given a nine-month jail term for permitting the use of a premises for the supply of heroin and crack cocaine on 9 October.
DC Jason Atkins of South Worcestershire County Lines team said: "The conviction of these drug dealers marks the conclusion of a lengthy but successful investigation into the Pedro Line which was dealing dangerous drugs into our communities here in Malvern.
“Putting these criminals behind bars removes another threat to rid the streets of this most impactful and harmful illegal activity as we continue to actively identify, investigate and prosecute all others attempting to do the same.”