Blind East Lancs drugs king jailed for 21 years

Rizwan Arshad, 33, was even driven round in a BMW, provided to him through the government’s Motability scheme, while he headed up three separate conspiracies across the north, a court heard.

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He was jailed alongside one of the lieutenants in the East Lancashire plot, Aftab Basharat, who was handed an eight-year jail term.

A judge was told that in spite of his disability, Arshad was also the leader of an operation involving the distribution of heroin and cocaine and massive amounts of cutting agents in Yorkshire.

He was living a luxury lifestyle while leading the conspiracy at the same time as he was claiming disability benefits.

The ex-student’s barrister had pleaded for a discount on his client’s jail term because of the difficulties he will face in prison through his blindness.

But passing sentence Judge Jonathan Durham Hall QC, sitting at Leeds Crown Court, said: “That has not prevented you in the past committing offences of deception, it has not prevented you achieving degree status at university and it did not prevent your role in these conspiracies.

“It is an indication of your sheer intelligence being at the heart of the essence of these matters.”

Arshad, of Lower Rushton Road, Bradford, admitted two offences of conspiracy to supply drugs and Basharat, 25, of Derby Road, also Bradford, pleaded guilty to two conspiracy offences.

Arshad, was first arrested in a taxi in Leeds city centre with bundles of cash totalling £108,000 contaminated with heroin and cocaine.

Undercover observations suggested he had a second home in Salford Quays, had made at least one trip to Dubai via Brussels and another to Amsterdam that year while also enjoying a holiday with his wife in Mauritius.

He was seen in shopping centres such as the Victoria Quarter in Leeds and Meadowhall, Sheffield.

Another Lithuanian national, Ramunas Venckus, 43, from Kent, also said to be a link in the drugs operation, was jailed for five years.