Five men have been sent to jail for their role in an operation worth multi-million pound which sold large quantities of cocaine, MDMA, cannabis, and ketamine over four years.
According to a report by Manchester Evening News, the network, led by brothers Mohammed and Ebrahim Sadigh, supplied illegal drugs worth up to £10 million before it was brought down two years ago in December 2020.
At Manchester Crown Court on Wednesday (4), The Sadigh brothers aged 30 and 22 respectively; along with Hamza Azouz, 31; Illyas Abudaber, 23; and Hamam Alhamruni, 24, were locked up for a combined total exceeding 40 years for their involvement in the drugs gang.
Prosecutor Neil Fryman told the court that Zuhir Nassrat, another alleged co-conspirator, was still on the run.
The court heard that the gang members were rumbled after a crash that took place in Wilmslow Road in Rusholme in April 2017 and it was during a search of one of the cars involved -- a Vauxhall Corsa -- that the police found cannabis, white powder, and two mobiles that were allegedly used in the drugs business.
According to the report, one of the phones was attributed to Abudaber, a 'runner' in the operation. The other one showed that Nassrat and Azouz were also associated with the drug-supplying business.
In June next year, the cops raided the house of Ebrahim Sadigh in Quantock Street, Moss Side, and discovered more than £4,000 in cash on top of a wardrobe. Mohammed Sadigh later claimed that the money was his. He was arrested and later, he said that he had borrowed them from a friend to purchase a vehicle.
Six months later, the police raided another property in Moss Side where the elder Sadigh had lived with a man called Shamsudin Khalifa. There too, the officers found drugs worth £12,000 besides £7,500 in cash, several phones, an iMac, etc.
'Burner’ phones were also found from the house, which revealed messages of customers ordering drugs and locations for the deals to be carried out.
“A number of items indicative of a lavish lifestyle were also recovered including a designer clothing, a Rolex watch box and a personalised number plate which read ‘R900 MOE’, and was attributed to Mohammed,” Fryman said, giving enough hint that the gang maintained a sophisticated lifestyle through the drugs business.
A month later, the police were involved in a high-speed chase with a stolen black Audi which was later found abandoned in Salford. Drugs were found inside the car.
“The police dog was set to track the offenders and has tracked from the Audi’s driver’s door of the vehicle to Fenney Street East,” the prosecutor said.
“It was there the dog discovered a black Deliveroo bag containing drugs, a plastic wallet containing the fingerprint of Ebrahim Sadigh and drug paraphernalia.”
The court heard of another incident on September 3, 2019, where Abudaber had been in a stolen black Audi A3 on Banff Road, Rusholme, when he was attacked and left with stab injuries.
“From the period of January 2017 and the October 2019 police have recovered a total of over £38,000 in cash and also approximately £57,000 worth of drugs from this group of linked individuals,” Fryman said.
Police carried out a number of ‘strike’ days during which several homes were raided in connection with the investigation.
Mohammed Sadigh and Ebrahim Sadigh were jailed for 11 and seven years, respectively, after pleading guilty to conspiracy to supply cocaine, MDMA, cannabis and ketamine.
Azouz of Mardy Street, Cardiff, was jailed for six years and he, too, also admitted conspiracy to supply cocaine, MDMA, cannabis and ketamine.
Abudaber, of Birchfields Road, Fallowfield, got a jail term of 12 years. He too pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply cocaine, MDMA, cannabis and ketamine, and other offences, including possession of a loaded firearm.
Alhamruni, of Nevada Street, Ardwick, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply cocaine, cannabis and ketamine, besides two breaches of a suspended sentence. He got a jail term of six years and four months.
Sentencing the five men, recorder Mark Ford KC called the operation as "sophisticated and wide-ranging", the Manchester Evening News report said.
"Although based in Manchester, it's apparent that the reach of conspiracy extent beyond this city," he added.
A Proceeds of Crime Act hearing has been set for May 5.
Detective sergeant Richard Bolt from GMP’s Serious Crime Division said after the hearing, "These sentences are a clear reflection on the impact that this group of individuals have caused on the public in Manchester. Drug dealing has consequences and affects those beyond the drug dealers and drug users.
“This operation has seen not only drugs, cash, lethal firearms and weapons removed off the streets, but also the recovery of vehicles stolen from innocent members of the public as a result of their houses being burgled.
“These vehicles have then been used dangerously on the roads of Greater Manchester and ultimately involved in high-speed police pursuits risking the lives of people going about their normal day to day activities. This behaviour typifies the complete lack of regard to others these individuals have in their own pursuit of making money to fund their criminal lifestyles.
Detective Inspector Madeline Kelly from GMP’s the City of Manchester Xcalibre Task Force, whose team led the investigation, said, "These sentences are another excellent result for GMP and a testament to the hard work carried out by all involved. Our top priority is keeping the public safe and we are committed to taking firearms, weapons and drugs off the streets of Greater Manchester."
Bob Blackman MP speaks during the event