Plan to flood Lancashire's streets with heroin is thwarted

BUSTED: From left to right, Dhiren Lad, Mark Samuels, Mohammed Khan and Ricky Parmar

The Bolton-based gang provided a substantial source of heroin, cocaine, cannabis and amphetamines destined for the streets of Lancashire and further afield in Bradford, Birmingham and Cornwall between September 2014 and August 2015.

Dhiren Lad, 34, who was jailed for 12 years, and  Mohammed Khan, 33, jailed for 13 years eight months led the operations.

Co-defendants Naheem Aslam, 34, and Ricky Parmar, 34, played leading roles in the organisation of the drug deals and also received 13 years and eight months.

Mark Samuels, 41, was involved in storing, adulterating and transporting drugs and was jailed for six years.

Their activities were brought to a halt in September 2015 when they were arrested in Operation Nexus, led by  Lancashire Police’s Serious and Organised Crime Unit.

All admitted conspiring to supply class a and B drugs.

Taxi driver Waqar Ahmed, 33, who used his legitimate  occupation as a cover to deliver drugs, denied his role but was found guilty and jailed for nine years.

Ben Southam, deputy head of the CPS North West  Complex Casework Unit, which authorised charges, said: “There was a huge amount of material to consider, including the analysis of hundreds of calls and texts between the members of the gang as they carried out drugs operations.

“The weight and detail of the evidence against them persuaded most of them to plead guilty.”

The Preston gang ringleader will be sentenced later this year.