Six men accused of being part of a county drugs line were convicted on Friday, May 28, 2021, of a number of offences, including supplying Class A drugs, false imprisonment and the possession of offensive weapons.
During the three-week trial at Luton Crown Court, the jury heard how the six men were involved in the ‘Ginge Line’, a drugs supply line running out of Bedford.
The investigation into the ‘Ginge Line’ began after police were called on February 13,2020 to a report that five men had taken over a flat located in De Parys Avenue and were using it as a base to deal drugs.
They had also kept two other people in the property against their will after a bag of drugs went missing.
In an attempt to locate the drugs, the men subjected the victims to a strip search, threatened and assaulted them with a replica firearm and a machete, before forcing one of them to pay £200 as some kind of compensation.
One of the victims managed to escape from the property to get help and the police were alerted.
Officers attended the property and Reece Thandi, Naimour Ahmed, Amirul Hussain, Mohammed Ali and Shamadul Islam were all arrested.
A few weeks later, a sixth man, Daniel Kight, was also arrested in connection to the incident.
A Nokia mobile phone seized from his bedroom had previously been used in connection with the supply of drugs, and showed a number of sent messages advertising drugs for sale.
All six men were later charged with a number of offences in relation to the ‘Ginge Line’ and were all bailed with conditions.
Five of the gang were also charged with criminal damage relating to another incident that occurred earlier in the day, where CCTV footage showed them trying to break into an address elsewhere in Bedford that was linked to one of the victims.
In October 2020, officers received information to suggest that the ‘Ginge Line’ was back up and running again in the Bedford area, with the phone’s data suggesting it was being consistently used at Thandi’s home address.
CCTV footage also placed Thandi at a convenience store in Foster Hill Road topping up the phone’s data. He was arrested again at his home address on February 19 this year and when his bedroom was searched, two further mobile phones were recovered, both of which were associated with the ‘Ginge Line’.
Thandi, 18, of Caister Road, Bedford, pleaded guilty to two counts of conspiring to supply Class A drugs and criminal damage.
Ahmed, 21, of Faraday Square, Bedford, was found guilty of two counts of conspiring to supply Class A drugs.
Hussain, 32, of no fixed address, pleaded guilty to two counts of conspiring to supply Class A drugs and criminal damage.
Ali, 20, of no fixed address, was found guilty of two counts of conspiring to supply Class A drugs, two counts of false imprisonment, assault, criminal damage and possession of an offensive weapon in a public place.
Islam, 22, of no fixed address, pleaded guilty to two counts of conspiring to supply Class A drugs, and was found guilty of criminal damage, two counts of assault, blackmail, possession of an imitation firearm with intent to case fear and two counts of false imprisonment.
Kight, 18, of Sandhurst Road, Bedford, pleaded guilty to two counts of conspiring to supply Class A drugs and criminal damage.
All six will be sentenced in July.
Detective Constable Lindsey Cook, from the force’s Boson gun and gangs team, who investigated the case, said: “It’s great that six more people involved in this county line have now been convicted of not just the drugs offences, but the torment they put two vulnerable people through because of this.
“County lines drugs gangs are often linked to serious violence, intimidation, grooming and exploiting young people alongside other vulnerable individuals to run their drug dealing networks across the country.
“It’s not just a national issue; it is also happening here in Bedfordshire and so we are determined to do all we can to stop these lines from operating and pursue the most serious offenders involved.
“This has been a lengthy investigation and I am so pleased the six men have been convicted and that the victims in this particular case have the reassurance that their voices were heard and can now get the support they need.”
Bedfordshire Police recently joined local councils, healthcare providers, charities, community groups and the county’s Violence and Exploitation Reduction Unit to launch Bedfordshire Against Violence and Exploitation, a countywide campaign aimed at shining a light on all forms of exploitation, including county lines and cuckooing, and how to report it, as well as signposting those in need to support and advice services.
Detective Chief Inspector Louisa Glynn said: “Vulnerable drug users are often subject to exploitation such as cuckooing, where drug dealers take over a vulnerable person’s property and use it as a base for their criminal enterprise.
“The person living at the property may not object at first, but can soon find their home completely overrun by the drugs gangs and their customers.
“That’s why it is so important we continue to work alongside other agencies to help people who are vulnerable to this exploitation to support them, as well as targeting these drugs gangs and disrupting their drugs lines.”
There are signs to look out for that suggest that cuckooing may be going on at a property which include:
- An increase in people entering and leaving the property
- People coming and going at strange times
- An increase in cars or bikes outside the property
- Damage to the property door of the door being propped open
- Unknown people pressing buttons to gain access to the building
- Possible increase in anti-social behaviour
- Increasing litter outside
- The resident not opening their door to the property
- Phone disconnected
- Signs of drugs use
Anyone who suspects that a property is being cuckooed or has any information about drug dealing can contact Bedfordshire Police on 101 or via its online reporting centre.
All of these reports are fed into police intelligence systems and help officers build up a better picture of organised crime.
You can also report information anonymously via Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
You can also find out more information about the different types of exploitation linked to organised crime, including county lines and cuckooing and where to get help, via bavex.co.uk/
For information or support about county lines or getting out of a gang, please visit bedsveru.org
