A BURNLEY and a Nelson man have been jailed as part of a conspiracy that supplied cocaine and heroin across the North West and Midlands.

Hafiz Ullah and Nasir Ali were sentenced to 10 years and three years in prison respectively for their involvement in a large-scale narcotic distribution group.

Ullah, 34, from Nelson, was responsible for collection and transportation of large quantities of heroin from Rochdale to Nelson.

Ullah and Nasir Ali, 38, from Burnley, were jailed along with 14 other gang members at Minshull Street Crown Court in Manchester.

Their drugs plot was uncovered by operation Gamber, an investigation led by Greater Manchester Police’s serious and organised crime group unit that pieced together the conspiracy through surveillance and phone records.

The kingpin of the conspiracy, Mohammed Fazal, from Rochdale, just hours after being released from prison in June 2017, used mobile phones over the next 10 months to organise drugs delivery, receipt and payments.

Tariq Hussain was a key member of the gang and acted as a distributor and in September 2017 a quarter kilo of cocaine and £19,000 was seized from his home address in Rochdale.

Others in the conspiracy were also caught with large amounts of drugs and cash.

The gang used contacts in other areas of the country to move and supply drugs.

Ullah, of Manchester Road in Nelson, pleaded guilty to two counts of conspiracy to supply heroin and cocaine, and sentenced to 10 years in prison.

Ali, of Railway Street, Burnley, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to supply class A drugs and supply of heroin and was sentenced to three years in prison.

Detective inspector Lee Griffin from GMP’s serious and organised crime group said: “Just hours after his release on license, Fazal decided to continue a life of crime.

“But despite his and his co-conspirators attempts to avoid detection, our officers were soon uncovering significant quantities of drugs and cash that led to his gang’s downfall.

“This was a wide-ranging and complex investigation, but thanks to the diligence and professionalism of our specialist officers we have managed to bring down an elaborate drugs conspiracy.

“Drugs blight communities and ruin lives.

“These prosecutions send a strong message that we will not tolerate criminals attempting to profit from illegality.”

Fazal, 32, Tariq Hussain, 23, Mohammed Hoque, 21 and Mohammed Abu Khan, 27, all from Rochdale, all pleaded guilty to two counts of conspiracy to supply heroin and cocaine and was sentenced to 15, eight and seven years and seven years and six months respectively in prison.

Mudassar Khan, 31, from Rochdale, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply cocaine and conspiracy to supply heroin, he will be sentenced on December 13.

Zain Ahmed, 24, from Halifax, pleaded guilty to two counts of conspiracy to supply heroin and cocaine and was sentenced to seven years in prison.

Raja Mobeen Khan, 27, from Rochdale, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply cocaine and was sentenced to 10 years in prison.

Samirul Choudhury, 29, from Rochdale, pleaded guilty to possession of cocaine with intent to supply and was sentenced to four years in prison.

Aftar Khan, 30, from Rochdale, pleaded guilty to possession of a class A drug with intent to supply and was sentenced to eight years in prison.

Adeel Faraz, 28, from Heywood, pleased guilty to possession of a class A drug with intent to supply and was sentenced to three years and eight months in prison.

Paul Keeting, 47, from Heywood, pleaded guilty to possession of a class A drug with intent to supply and was sentenced to three years and eight months in prison.

Aneesa Ahmed, 23, Stoke-on-Trent, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to supply a class A drug and was sentenced to 28 months in prison.

Simon Worrall, 33, from Rochdale, pleaded guilty to two offences of possession of a controlled drug with intent to supply and was sentenced to five years and two months in prison.

Ashraful Chowdhury, 22, from Rochdale, pleaded guilty to possession of a class A drug with intent to supply and was sentenced to five years in prison.