Criminals jailed over 30 years and £140k worth of drugs seized

A large-scale operation which has been running in Huddersfield has seen criminals sentenced to over 30 years in prison and £140,000 of Class A drugs taken from the streets.

The operation began in April 2018 as a test purchase operation with the aim to reduce drug related offending and particularly violent crime involving firearms and use of weapons believed to be directly linked to the supply of drugs.

As part of the extensive investigation 53 people were arrested after being identified as street drug dealers and also a number who were heavily involved in drug, firearms and gang-related criminality. So far 37 of these people have been charged, 26 of which are awaiting sentence.

• Ameer Rajab, 19, of Scott Vale, Deighton was jailed for 3 years 6 months for drugs supply offences
• Troy Wallace, 22, of Harpe Inge, Dalton was jailed for 3 years 8 months for drugs supply offences
• Joseph O’Neill, 22, of White Head Lane, Newsome, was jailed for 4 years for drugs supply offences
• D’Andre Lawrence, 19 of Crossfields, Dalton, was jailed for 2 years 8 months for drugs supply offences
• A 17-year-old male, from Huddersfield, was jailed for 3 years 9 months for multiple offences including possession of a shotgun and a handgun, along with several rounds of ammunition, possession of three wraps of crack cocaine, and drugs supply offences.
• Susan Heaver, 43, of Hexham Green, Milnsbridge, was convicted and given a 20 month suspended sentence for drugs supply offences.
• Steven Clownes, 41, of Eden Drive, Doncaster, was given a 2 year community order for drugs supply offences.
• Moazam Hussain, 25, of Style Common Road, Newsome, was jailed for 3 years 4 months for drugs supply offences.
• Paul Broadley, 47, of Baker Street, Lindley, was jailed for 20 months for drugs supply offences.
• Shoaib Aslam, 19, of Bromley Road, Birkby, was jailed for 3 years 4 months for Drugs supply offences.
• Adam Hamilton, aged 25 of Stewart Place, Bradley was jailed for 3 years 2 months for drugs supply offences.
• Corey Simpson, 20, of Hopbine Avenue, Bradford, was jailed for 2 years 9 months for drugs supply offences.

Other significant sentences include two men charged after £140,000 of Class A drugs were seized, £35,000 in cash and a gold bullion.

Mohammed Aasim Khalid, 26, of Moorlands Edge, Mount, was jailed for 4 years 6 months for possession with intent to supply Class A drugs.

Mohammed Faisal Shahid, 26, of Moorlands Crescent, Mount, was jailed for 6 years 8 months, for possession with intent to supply Class A drugs.

Detective Chief Inspector Fiona Gaffney, who led the operation in Kirklees, said: “This has been an extensive and long-standing operation in Huddersfield which has resulted in a significant amount of prison sentences and drugs and weapons seized from the District’s streets.

“A large part of this operation has been covert, we worked closely with Force Programme Precision and the Yorkshire and Humber Regional Crime Unit and it is with this capability and through the officers dedication and diligence that we have been able to make significant steps to disrupt and eradicate drug and violent crime in Huddersfield.

“We hope that our communities will be reassured that we take a robust approach to organised and serious crime and we do recognise that recent incidents have caused a considerable amount of concern amongst our residents and we having ongoing operations still running within Huddersfield and Kirklees to continue to disrupt the criminality activity of these individuals who are responsible.

“The community has a vital role in assisting the police tackle this type of criminality. We have received a huge quantity of intelligence from our communities which has led to arrests and convictions and I would continue to urge people to come forward with any information about any criminal activity or suspicious behaviour in their area. We will act upon intelligence passed to us and bring those criminals to justice.”