TWO brothers who used their wholesaleers business as a front for drug dealing have been jailed.

Nadeem Shah, 28, and his younger brother Muddassar Shah, 26, of London Road, Blackburn, rented a unit at Roe Lee Business Park from September to December 2010.

But when police raided the premises, they seized around half a kilo of cannabis, with some bagged into street deals and other paraphernalia suggesting the unit was being used to store the Class B drug.

The brothers, who ran a wholesalers providing local corner shops with various items such as toilet rolls, were later arrested and charged.

Police found little evidence of business use and said it was more likely a ‘front for their drug dealing enterprise’.

Last month, Muddassar Shah admitted possession with intent to supply cannabis and Naheed Shah pleaded guilty to being concerned in the supply of cannabis.

They were jailed at Preston Crown Court.

Both were also sentenced for breaches of suspended sentences. Muddassar was jailed for 16 months and Naheed for 14 months.

DC Leo Cook said: “The brothers rented a unit to use and pretending to be in a legitimate business, used the unit as a base to store and supply cannabis.”