A notorious drugs gang responsible for distributing multiple kilos of heroin and cocaine across Birmingham has been jailed for a combined total of more than 77 years following a major investigation by West Midlands Police. The probe was sparked by a violent attack by a rival group, which ultimately led to the gang’s downfall.
The nine men, all from Birmingham, were convicted of conspiracy to supply heroin and cocaine after a 13-week trial at Birmingham Crown Court, which concluded in January. The investigation began on May 22, 2021, when a rival gang armed with machetes and a shotgun stormed a house on Oakwood Road in Sparkhill, where the group was preparing drugs for sale. During the attack, Mohammed Ishaq, a member of the gang, was slashed with a machete, sustaining severe injuries to his arm.
As the rival gang fled, the drug dealers attempted to hide their stash in nearby Sparkhill Park before police arrived. Witnesses reported seeing men hiding items in the bushes, leading officers to recover over 8kg of heroin and more than 1kg of crack cocaine, valued at £226,700. The drugs would have been worth significantly more once prepared for street sale. Inside the Oakwood Road house, police found additional drugs, mixing agents, scales, and other paraphernalia used in the preparation of narcotics.
The rival gang made a desperate attempt to recover the hidden drugs, even going so far as to call 999 with a false report of a shooting nearby in an effort to divert police attention. However, their plan failed, and West Midlands Police intensified their investigation with extensive CCTV analysis and mobile phone data, leading to the arrest of all nine gang members in a series of early morning raids on October 20, 2021.
The gang was found to control at least six separate drug lines, supplying class A drugs across Birmingham. They were linked to eight separate drug seizures over an 18-month period between 2020 and 2021. Evidence included a photograph of one gang member posing with bowls of drugs.
The sentences handed down to the gang members ranged from seven to 14 years, with Mohammed Imran Khan, the group leader, receiving the longest sentence of 14 years and two months. Mohammed Ishaq, who was attacked during the rival raid, was jailed for 10 years and two months. Other members, including Kaleem Ullah Khan, Sohail Hussain, and Riaz Mohammed, received sentences ranging from seven to 13 years.
The nine brought to justice were:
- Mohammed Imran Khan, aged 37, of Imperial Road, Bordesley Green – Group leader who made a stamp advertising one of the phone numbers of one of the lines and its opening hours. Drove others around in his BMW trying to recover the drugs before police did. Jailed for 14 years and two months.
- Mohammed Ishaq, aged 32, of Knowle Road, Sparkhill – Was attacked in the Oakwood Road house where he was preparing drugs – Jailed for 10 years and two months.
- Kaleem Ullah Khan, aged 37, of Arden Road, Saltley – Was seen leaving the Oakwood Road house after the attack with a mixing bowl in a bin bag. Jailed for 13 years and three months.
- Sohail Hussain, aged 31, of Priorygate Way, Bordesley Green – Seen leaving the Oakwood Road house after the attack, carrying a machete and bag of cocaine – Jailed for nine years and nine months.
- Riaz Mohammed, aged 39, of Carlton Road, Bordesley Green – Jailed for seven years and six months.
Anwar Awais, aged 28, of Allens Croft Road, Kings Heath – Was in the Oakwood Road house when Ishaq was attacked, and phoned paramedics – Jailed for seven years and four months. - Mohammed Hamza Butt, aged 25, of Cobham Road, Bordesley Green – Was seen leaving the Oakwood Road house wearing a distinctive gilet, which was found covering the drugs dumped in Sparkhill Park – Jailed for eight years.
- Nowshad Mohammed, aged 29, of Bordesley Green, Birmingham – Seen at the Oakwood Road address. Jailed for seven years and two months.
- Ahmed Iqbal, aged 19, of Cherrywood Road, Bordesley Green – Was seen leaving the Oakwood Road house after the attack. Will be sentenced at a later date.
Detective Sergeant Danny Wilson, who led the investigation, stated, “This was a gang that was trading in the human misery of class A drugs – exploiting vulnerable people and fuelling a violent trade. Our investigation was triggered by an act of extreme violence against the gang, and that exposed the property at Oakwood Road as the headquarters of the operation. These lengthy sentences send a powerful message to those involved in the drugs trade that we are coming for you, and you will spend years behind bars.”
West Midlands Police have reiterated their commitment to tackling serious and organised crime in the region, vowing to continue their relentless efforts to bring offenders to justice.
