UNDERCOVER officers involved in bringing down an international drugs ring which operated from a warehouse in Church have been hailed ‘heroes’ and given a commendation by a judge.


The Recorder of Preston, Judge Mark Brown, praised the officers from the National Crime Agency for their dedication in helping to bring down the £100million drug and gun running operation, which was operated from a flower wholesale business.

 

Seven menface a combined total of 102 years behind bars for their part in the ‘massive conspiracy’ which saw drugs transported from the continent to a depot at Albion Mill in Duckworth Street, Church.


Among the items seized as part of the police operation were a pistol and a sub machine gun with a silencer.


Large quantities of heroin, cannabis, amphetamine, cocaine and ecstasy were also discovered.


Community leaders have also praised the work of the NCA officers and made it clear the sentences the men were given should act as a warning to others.

Hyndburn MP Graham Jones said: “The police are heroes. They do a wonderful job and I welcome the judge’s decision to give these officers a commendation. 

“As for the sentencing, I don’t think it has gone far enough. The sooner we start to clear these people off our streets for 40 to 50 years the better. That is the only way they will learn.

“The Hyndburn community is united against drugs and this shows that if you are dealing drugs in this area you are going to get caught. My advice is clear off and you would be a mug to deal drugs in Hyndburn.” 

Accrington West Councillor Munsif Dad is shocked such a large criminal operation was taking place in the heart of the community.

He said: “I was very surprised to hear about what was going on at the mill and the organisation involved. I am delighted that the police have been able to catch them and bring them to justice. 

“If these drugs were out on the streets of Hyndburn they would have caused unmeasurable misery to many people. The people of Hyndburn do not tolerate this kind of thing and I echo the judge’s praise for the officers who caught them.” 

Preston Crown Court heard how Sajid Osman, 44, of Bromley Street, Blackburn, had a ‘leading and controlling’ role in the conspiracy. He was jailed for 26 years.


Nizami Esshak, of Willows Lane, Accrington, was also jailed for seven years for his role in supplying cannabis.


Benny Albert Planken, 30,of Streefkerk, Netherlands, was jailed for 11 years,

Nigel Watson, 52, of Clunbury Road, Telford, was jailed or 17 years, Husain Farooq, 27, of Fox Street, Stockport, was sentenced to two years and Taimur Zahid, 28 of Chorlton Cum Hardy, was jailed for 22 months.

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The charges related to four separate seizures in 2014, three made from lorries at the UK controls at the Channel Tunnel terminal in Coquelles, northern France, and one in Church.

On the first occasion, in March 2014, Border Force officers found two guns, a pistol and a sub machine gun with a silencer and laser sight, 28 rounds of ammunition, more than 600kgs of cannabis resin and skunk, 60kgs of amphetamine, 50 litres of liquid amphetamine, 6kgs of cocaine and one kilo of ecstasy.

The Dutch lorry driver Pieter Martens was jailed for 24 years for his role in the importation at an earlier hearing.

Less than two weeks later another seizure was made from a lorry at the Channel Tunnel, this time containing almost a tonne of cannabis, amphetamine, heroin and cocaine. The Dutch driver of that truck was later cleared of importation offences.

On July 1, 2014 Nigel Watson, 52, from Telford was arrested at Coquelles after a truck he was driving was found to contain 30kgs of heroin and 45kgs of ecstasy.

 

Working with colleagues in the Netherlands, National Crime Agency (NCA) investigators linked all the importations to Bhegani and Osman, and found that they had been involved in another 13 separate runs from the continent to the UK.

Bhegani had made all the arrangements, getting consignments delivered to premises in Albion Mill rented and operated by ‘his trusted lieutenant’ Osman and Esshak, 56.

NCA officers raided the unit on August 26, 2014, arresting Osman and Esshak along with Taimur Zahid and Hussain Farooq, both of whom had arrived as ‘customers’ to pick up drugs from the unit, the court heard.

Investigators found three boxes containing flowers and 12 kilos of cannabis in their car. More than 200 kilos of cannabis was seized from Albion Mill, along with notebooks containing details of customers and quantities of drugs to supply.

A further 80 kilos of cannabis was recovered from a van outside.

The court heard Bhegani was arrested at Esshak’s nearby home in Accrington. Subsequently Dutch crime squad officers raided properties linked to him in the Netherlands.

They found phones and SIM cards used to contact drivers and customers of the group, as well as documentation detailing price lists for drugs and transfers of large amounts of cash.

Dutch lorry driver Benny Planken, 30, was later arrested after being identified as having imported the cannabis found in Albion Mill.

The men were all charged with importation offences. Esshak, Zahid and Farooq all pleaded guilty prior to trial, but Bhegani, Osman, Watson and Planken were found guilty of conspiring to import drugs by a jury at Preston Crown Court on February 22. Bhegani and Osman were also convicted of importing firearms.

The Recorder of Preston, Judge Mark Brown, said a conservative estimate of the street value of the drugs was £100million.

He said: “Class A drugs wreak havoc on people’s lives. They have led to a huge increase in crime. Those involved in this trade don’t care less about the consequences and are only interested in the rewards.”

Benny Albert Planken, 30,of Streefkerk, Netherlands, was jailed for 11 years, Nigel Watson, 52, of Clunbury Road, Telford, was jailed or 17 years, Husain Farooq, 27, of Fox Street, Stockport, was sentenced to two years and Taimur Zahid, 28 of Chorlton Cum Hardy, was jailed for 22 months.