East Lancs drug gang jailed

A group of men who conspired to flood the streets of Blackburn and Darwen with heroin and crack cocaine have been jailed for a total of 18 years and three months.

The conspirators’ illegal dealings first began to unravel on 20th February 2023 when officers arrested defendant Adile Khalil at his home in Lisbon Drive, Darwen. During a search they found £4,925 in cash, a samurai sword, an extendable baton and some Farb gel spray.

The same day officers attended another property in Darwen linked to Khalil and found crack cocaine, cocaine, heroin – with a combined value of over £13,000 – weighing scales, gloves and other drugs paraphernalia. Khalil’s fingerprints were found on the drugs packaging.

Co-defendant Ramzan Al-Hassan’s fingerprints were also found on drugs packaging at that location.

On 15th March 2023 defendant Joshua Grant was arrested at his home in Richmond Park, Darwen. Wraps of heroin and crack cocaine were found in his pocket and wraps of cocaine were found in his house.

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

Having been given conditional bail while enquiries continued, Khalil was arrested for a second time at his home on Lisbon Drive on 14th June 2023. Police seized two mobile phones and three watches.

The same day they arrested Al-Hassan at a property in Midsummer Street, Blackburn. During a search of Al-Hassan and his property we recovered two Nokia phones, a balaclava, £13,382 of crack cocaine, £410 of heroin, £280 of cocaine and £730 in cash.

At 11pm on 14th June 2023 officers searched a property in Manchester Road in Haslingden and £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 and there was 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 drugs debt.

Pictured Left - Right: Kafeil Hussain, Adile Khalil, Ramzan Al-Hassan and Joshua Grant.

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 pro-active work comes under Operation Warrior, which is our response to tackling serious and organised crime in Lancashire and delivering on Police and Crime Commissioner Andrew Snowden's Fighting Crime Plan priority of disrupting and dismantling organised crime.

Andrew 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 Operation 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.

"I would encourage anyone to report suspicious activity, or any information that might help in bringing criminals to justice. We continue to go after more and make sure those involved in organised crime feel the full force of the law and have their day in court."