Ten Men Jailed for More Than 85 Years as Police Uncover Industrial-Scale Drug Supply in West Yorkshire

Ten men have been jailed for a combined 85 years and eight months after West Yorkshire Police uncovered an industrial-scale operation supplying wholesale quantities of cocaine and cannabis from Halifax.

The defendants were sentenced at Bradford Crown Court on Friday, 30 October, following a long-term investigation into an organised crime group based in the West Yorkshire town, with connections in Middlesbrough and Blackpool. Ten received immediate custodial sentences, while an 11th defendant was given a suspended prison term.

Police identified Muhammed Hussain, 33, of Halifax, as a central figure in the operation. He ran two distribution hubs: a flat in the Holmefield area and another property on Saville Park Road. From the addresses, he controlled stock levels, distribution, transactions and the repackaging of drugs, and regularly met couriers and customers, according to West Yorkshire Police.

Two Halifax Distribution Hubs

Hussain and his right-hand man, Zahid Shakoor, 34, were found at both addresses. Digital evidence established their roles in the wider gang, police said.

Hussain was arrested in November 2024 after an exchange led officers to recover 4kg of cocaine, 20kg of cannabis and £26,970 in cash. Further searches at the properties uncovered two stolen shotguns and industrial-scale drug paraphernalia.

West Yorkshire Police said the gang was disbanded following Hussain's arrest and the remaining members were subsequently arrested. The force said the network supplied wholesale quantities of cocaine and cannabis across West Yorkshire and beyond.

The seizures demonstrate the quantities recovered during the investigation, but police have not disclosed the total volume of drugs handled by the group or the proceeds generated by its activities.

Ten Men Receive Immediate Prison Terms

Allah Yaar, 35, of Huddersfield, received the longest sentence: 14 years and three months. He was sentenced for two counts of conspiracy to supply cocaine, conspiracy to supply cannabis and conspiracy to possess criminal property.

Shakoor was jailed for 13 years for conspiracy to supply cocaine and cannabis and conspiracy to possess criminal property. Muhammed Ahmed Khan, 36, of Middlesbrough, received 10 years for conspiracy to supply cocaine and conspiracy to possess criminal property.

Hussain was sentenced to 12 years for conspiracy to supply cocaine and cannabis, possession of a firearm without a firearm certificate, possession of a shotgun and possession of criminal property.

Mohammed Rana, 57, of Huddersfield, received five years for conspiracy to possess criminal property and fraud by false representation. Joseph Ali, 27, of Blackpool, was jailed for five years and seven months for conspiracy to supply cocaine.

Mohammed Nadeem, 44, of Middlesbrough, received nine years and six months for conspiracy to supply cocaine and conspiracy to possess criminal property. Jordan Barker, 42, of Thornton-Cleveleys, was sentenced to four years and three months for the same offences.

Naveed Iqbal, 36, of Halifax, was jailed for eight years and one month for conspiracy to supply cocaine. Ajmeer Miah, 22, of Sheffield, received four years for conspiracy to supply cocaine and conspiracy to possess criminal property.

The 10 immediate custodial sentences total 85 years and eight months.

Eleventh Defendant Given Suspended Sentence

Zulfazah Khaliq Hussain, 42, of Bradford, received a 12-month prison sentence, suspended for 24 months. The offences were transferring criminal property and failing to comply with a notice under section 49 of the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act.

His sentence means 11 defendants were sentenced in the case, but only 10 received immediate prison terms. This distinction is reflected in the police announcement, which describes the outcome as 10 men jailed for more than 85 years.

Detective Inspector Kevin Daly, of West Yorkshire Police's Force Precision team, said large-scale drug operations could drive associated crime, including violence and exploitation, in local communities. He said tackling organised crime was a priority and urged residents to provide information to police.

The case centred on a Halifax-based supply network and the distribution hubs used to manage its wholesale drug trade. While the sentences mark the conclusion of proceedings against these defendants, the police announcement does not disclose the network's overall turnover or the full volume of drugs it supplied.