'County lines' drug dealers who 'took over vulnerable narcotic users houses' to use as 'bases' jailed

Two ‘county lines’ drug dealers who ‘took over’ houses belonging to vulnerable narcotics users and used the properties as ‘bases’ for their trade have been jailed.

Mohammed Miah, 28, and Abdul Khan, 24, were members of an organised crime group that flooded Edinburgh with cocaine and heroin between May 2019 and October 2020.

The High Court in Edinburgh heard how police caught Miah, Khan and accomplice Jamie Fullalove, 22, after becoming aware of the group’s activities in the city.

The trio, who all come from Bradford, West Yorkshire, were arrested for their roles in the organisation.

Police found the trio with hundreds of pounds worth of heroin and cocaine and possessing thousands of pounds in cash.

On Wednesday, the three men appeared for sentencing at the High Court in Edinburgh before judge Lord Scott.

Lord Scott gave Miah a six-year and three-month-long sentence whilst Khan was given a five-year term.

Fullalove was given a community payback order which requires him to perform 200 hours of unpaid work in the community. He will also be supervised by the authorities for two years.

Passing sentence, Lord Scott remarked how police recovered £3,600 of cocaine and £1,900 of heroin – more than £4,000 cash was also recovered.

He said he bore in mind that the drugs and cash recovered offered only “snapshots” of the trio’s operation.

Lord Scott told the three accused that the cash and narcotics recovered must have been part of a “significant drugs operation even if your roles were not at the top end of it.”

He pointed out that Miah and Khan’s involvement had extended to “organising, directing and controlling” others including Fullalove.

Lord Scott added: “All three of you have pleaded guilty to serious charges involving being concerned in the supply of two different class A drugs namely cocaine and diamorphine or heroin.”

At proceedings earlier this year, prosecutor Colin Edward told judge Lord Scott that police became aware of how the accused were able to carry out their trade in the Scottish capital.

Mr Edward said: “The accused were members of an organised crime group who were behind a country lines drug dealing operation in Edinburgh.

“The accused Mr Khan moved into and took over properties in the Edinburgh area to use as bases for drug dealing in a practice commonly known as cuckooing.”

The story emerged after the trio pleaded guilty to drug dealing charges before judge Lord Scott.

Mr Edward told the court that police discovered the trio persuaded vulnerable addicts throughout the city to allow their homes to be used for drug dealing.

The householders were given quantities of narcotics in return for allowing their homes to be used as bases.

The court heard that police managed to piece together evidence to bring the men to justice.

Lord Scott deferred sentence for the court to obtain reports on the men’s background.

On Wednesday, Miah’s defence solicitor advocate Gordon Martin for said: “He had a significant role in matters in Edinburgh but he was someone that was being directed by others in Yorkshire.”

He said that Miah came from a “pro social family”.

He added: “He is not someone who suffered any adverse difficulties in childhood until the death of his twin brother.”

Mr Martin said he found the teenager’s death difficult to come to terms with and began to abuse drugs.

Advocate Kenneth Cloggie for Khan said he had become involved in the drugs trade because he had run up a debt over a car.

Iain McSporran KC for Fullalove said his client was aged 18 when he committed the offences in Scotland but has since been jailed for other offences in England.

Lord Scott also said he accepted that their roles in a “large, well organised criminal enterprise” were limited.