Lancashire drugs gang jailed after £30k of heroin, crack cocaine and cannabis seized

A group of men who conspired to flood the streets of Blackburn and Darwen with heroin and crack cocaine have been jailed.

The conspirators' illegal dealings first began to unravel when officers arrested defendant Adile Khalil at his home in Lisbon Drive, Darwen, on February 20, 2023

Police seized £4,925 in cash, a samurai sword, an extendable baton and some Farbgel - a substance which is marketed as a legal self defence spray.

Another property in Darwen linked to Khalil was also raided later that day.

Crack cocaine, cocaine, heroin – with a combined value of over £13,000 – weighing scales, gloves and other drugs paraphernalia were recovered.

Khalil's fingerprints were found on the drugs packaging as well as co-defendant Ramzan Al-Hassan's fingerprints.

Joshua Grant was arrested at his home in Richmond Park, Darwen, on March 15, 2023.

Wraps of heroin and crack cocaine were found in his pocket and wraps of cocaine were found in his house.

An investigation found that defendant Kafeil Hussain was directing Khalil to collect money from Grant on March 10 and on June 6, 2023. 

Having been given conditional bail while enquiries continued, Khalil was arrested for a second time at his home on Lisbon Drive on June 14, 2023.

Two mobile phones and three watches were seized.

Al-Hassan was arrested at a property in Midsummer Street, Blackburn, on the same day.

Officers recovered two Nokia phones, a balaclava, £13,382 of crack cocaine, £410 of heroin, £280 of cocaine and £730 in cash.

Later that evening, officers searched a property in Manchester Road in Haslingden and seized £510 of heroin, a weighing mat containing residue of heroin, a Nokia phone and £3,060 of cannabis.

Hussain's fingerprints were found on the drugs packaging.

Defendant Mark Boyle's fingerprints were found on some of the packaging of the drugs from Al-Hassan’s house.

There was also mobile phone evidence showing the two had been in contact.

Boyle admitted bagging up the drugs following his arrest, saying he did so to pay off a drug debt. 

The defendants pleaded guilty to being concerned in the supply of heroin and crack cocaine and received the following sentences.

• Kafeil Hussain, 31, of Manchester Road, Haslingden – also pleaded guilty to possession of cannabis with intent to supply. Jailed for eight years and six months. 
• Adile Khalil, 33, of Lisbon Drive, Darwen. Jailed for five years and one month.
• Ramzan Al-Hassan, 31, of Midsummer Street, Blackburn. Jailed for two years and nine months. 
• Joshua Grant, 30, of Richmond Park, Darwen. Jailed for one year and seven months.
• Mark Boyle, 49, of Preston New Rd, Blackburn. Jailed for 18 months, which was suspended for two years.

Det Sgt Stu Peall, of the East Exploitation Team, said: "These individuals each played their own individual and crucial roles in what was an organised criminal conspiracy to sell Class A Drugs.

"I welcome the sentences handed down by the court."

This investigation formed part of Operation Warrior - Lancashire Police's response to tackling serious and organised crime in the county.

Mr Snowden, Police and Crime Commissioner for Lancashire, said: "It's important that we send a clear message to criminals that police are coming to get you, and this is another great example of the work officers do, every single day, to disrupt and dismantle organised crime gangs and put them behind bars.

"It's what Op Warrior is all about, taking the fight to criminals that blight our communities, delivering on my Fighting Crime Plan and seeing even more arrests, more asset seizures and more drugs off our streets.

"Results like this, which will directly make Lancashire safer, are what the public want to see and deliver on a top priority in my Fighting Crime Plan."