Two drug dealing brothers have been jailed for almost nine years after drugs and cash worth £30,000 were seized in Bedford.
Shabaz Miah, 29, alongside Shazad Miah, 28, were arrested by Bedfordshire Police during a warrant at Shabaz’s home address in January.
Police had received reports both brothers were involved in a organised crime group dealing both cocaine and heroin.
Further information suggested they used children as drug runners to sell their products and would threaten these same children with violence if they failed to do so.
During the search officers found bundles of cash throughout the property amounting to £20,0000, which was seized.
Large amounts of cocaine, heroin, and cannabis later valued at up to £10,000 were also found in a shed, as well as other items associated with drug dealing.
Several burner style phones were also located in bedrooms which belonged to the dealers.
Text message exchanges from one of the phones retrieved shows Shazad text a buyer the following: “3pm g im live”. A drugs expert interpreted the message and explained the term live is used when the user of the phone is ready to supply drugs, further implicating Shazad.
Miah and Miah, both of Oldfield Road, Bedford, pleaded guilty to six drug dealing offences covering the supply of cocaine, heroin and cannabis, as well as possession of criminal property.
The pair were handed four-year jail terms for drug offences at Luton Crown Court on Friday, March 17, 2923.
Shazad was given an additional nine-month sentence in connection to an unrelated affray in Peterborough.
Detective Constable Adam Geary from Bedfordshire Police’s Boson guns and gangs unit, who investigated the case, said: “Both men were found in possession of large amounts of drugs and cash, which evidently showed their part in a large-scale drug supply enterprise.
“The fact these two men involved children in their criminal enterprise shows the ruthless lengths these gangs will go to, putting young people at risk of serious harm in order to line their own pockets.
“This is the latest in a line of recent successes we have had in tackling serious and organised crime in Bedfordshire, and our teams will relentlessly pursue and disrupt those who practice this criminal line of work.”
For more information about organised crime in Bedfordshire, the signs to spot and where to report concerns, visit https://www.beds.police.uk/police-forces/bedfordshire-police/areas/campaigns/campaigns/operation-costello/
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