A CHELMSLEY Wood man has been jailed for his role in a drugs line across Birmingham where they made over £1million a year peddling heroin and crack cocaine.
The seven-strong gang operated the Tiger Line, believed to be the largest drugs line being operated in the Birmingham East area of the city and made £6,000 per day from drug sales.
The drugs line had been supplying a large amount of users on a daily basis, throughout all hours of the day and for a number of years until an investigation by West Midlands Police’s County Lines Taskforce team brought it to a halt.
Riaz Bice, aged 30, from Beech Avenue, Chelmsley Wood was a runner for the drugs line, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to supply Class A drugs and was jailed for six years.
Waqar Mohammed, aged 31, from Millhouse Road, Small Heath, owner of the Tiger drugs line, appeared at Birmingham Crown Court and was sentenced to 10 years in prison after pleading guilty to possession with intent to supply Class A drugs.
Kabir Khan, aged 46, from Charles Road, Small Heath, whose role was to store the drugs, also pleaded guilty to the same charge and was handed a sentence of six years and nine months.
Drugs runner Wasim Hussain, aged 35, from Floyer Road, Bordesley Green, was jailed for six years and four months after also pleading guilty to possession with intent to supply Class A drugs.
Abid Ali, aged 40, from Ivor Road, Sparkhill also pleaded guilty to the same charge and was jailed for five years and six months while driver Kalid Usman, aged 32, from Bassett Grove, Bordesley Green, was convicted of possession with intent to supply Class A drugs following a trial and was handed a four year jail term.
Mohammed Javid Ali, aged 54, from Ivor Road, Sparkhill, was handed a two year jail term, which was suspended for 18 months for participating in the activities of an organised crime group.
Officers from the County Lines Task Force led an investigation into the group using covert surveillance tactics and with the help of analysts and specialists the managed to get to know the operating mode.
In July 2022 officers carried out a number of warrants at addresses in Birmingham and arrested the gang including Tiger Line owner Waqar Mohammed.
The Task Force used a drone which captured the moment Mohammed threw a mobile phone out of a window which was later recovered.
Bob Brown, from the force’s County Lines Taskforce, said: “County Lines drug dealers target the most vulnerable, ruining lives and blighting communities. This was a very sophisticated drugs operation and we are delighted to take it off our streets and get the gang convicted and behind bars.
“County Lines gangs should know they are in our sights and our work goes on 24/7 throughout the year to stop them and get them off our streets.”
Anyone with information about County Lines drug dealing should contact police via Live Chat on the force’s website or by calling 101.
Alternatively contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 55111.
