Gloucester gang members jailed for role in £150,000 drugs conspiracy

Two Gloucester men convicted for their part in a drugs conspiracy have been sentenced to a total of 13 years in prison.

Fakrul Islam Khan, 28, of Knowles Road and Mohamed Rayaz Bham, 23, of Farm Street, were sentenced today at Bristol Crown Court.

The sentencing follows a lengthy, in depth investigation run by Gloucestershire Constabulary's Serious and Organised Crime Unit (SOCU) into the transportation of heroin into the county by a Gloucester based organised crime group.

The drugs seized during the operation had a potential street value of £150,000, and Detective Inspector Neil Carpenter of the SOCU said the policing operation which took the drugs off the streets had been a huge success.

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He said: "This particular operation followed the earlier disruption of a heroin supply route into Gloucestershire from the Rochdale area. During the earlier investigation we, working closely with the Serious and Organised Crime Agency, arrested and subsequently convicted a number of individuals including three members of this Gloucester- based gang and seized more than 11 kilos of heroin.

"The offenders from that part of the investigation were sentenced earlier this year.

"During the course of this investigation we proved that Khan, who was the ring leader, along with Bham and several others set up a new supply route from dealers in Sheffield.

"Kilogram amounts of heroin were intercepted by us and, through careful analysis by a dedicated investigation team, we obtained evidence that the transportation of drugs and money was a regular occurrence in December 2011 and January 2012, and that Khan was the organiser using others to get their hands dirty.

"The release of such large amounts of heroin for sale onto the streets would have caused huge misery within our communities and the gang could have profited to the tune of £150,000.

"Through our work, and the assistance of our colleagues in other agencies, including South Yorkshire Police, we put a stop to their activities.

"It's yet more evidence of our ability to disrupt the drugs trade both within Gloucestershire and where it crosses over into other areas around the country and further afield.

"We will continue to investigate their finances to recover any profits from their criminality and have successfully sought Serious Crime Prevention Orders on Khan and Bham, designed to prevent opportunity for further criminality on their release from custody."

Khan and Bham both pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply class A drugs – heroin – in proceedings at Gloucester Crown Court. Bham's plea was entered in July 2012, while Khan's plea was entered in September.

Khan received a prison term of eight and a half years, and Bham received four and a half years imprisonment.

Their co-conspirators in the gang - Mohammed Dilu Miah, 30, of Morpeth Street, Gloucester, and and Ripon Miah, 31, of Broad Street, Newent – have been dealt with during separate court proceedings and sentenced to three and four years in prison respectively.

A number of other individuals have also been convicted following this investigation but have yet to be sentenced.