A trio of organised criminals who sold millions of pounds of cocaine and heroin have been jailed, after their attempts to sell a firearm led specialist detectives to uncovering their illicit dealings.
Following an investigation by the Eastern Region Special Operations Unit (ERSOU), two men from Luton and a third from London were jailed for a combined 65 years for their roles in criminal networks selling and distributing cocaine, heroin, and a gun.
In April 2020, ERSOU officers became aware of Imad Musa-Hamid, 35, of Cromwell Road, London, traveling to Manchester to buy a handgun.
After observing a package being exchanged, officers tracking Musa-Hamid’s movements pulled over his Renault Kangoo van on the M1 near Luton and arrested him on suspicion of possession of a firearm.
A search of his vehicle found a semi-automatic gun in a concealed compartment within the back of the van, with 49 rounds of ammunition. On the front passenger seat was an encrypted phone linked to the Encrochat network.
Analysis of his encrypted device revealed he was acting as a courier for Mohammed Imran Khan, 42, of Cranleigh Gardens, Luton, and Zain Yusuf, 30, of Montrose Avenue, Luton, who had arranged to sell the weapon to another Encrochat user.
Messages around the time of Musa-Hamid’s arrest showed the pair frantically trying to contact him, unaware that he was in police custody, and even driving along his route in an attempt to find his van.
Detectives continued to follow several lines of enquiries, before apprehending Yusuf in June 2020 at his Luton home, where he was arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to supply class A drugs and selling a firearm.
Officers seized packets of cocaine and cannabis from his address, and also found evidence that he had attempted to flush suspected cocaine down his toilet, along with two broken, wet mobile phones which were found in a bin. The following day, Mohammed Imran Khan was also arrested.
The trio’s Encrochat messages indicated that they could have been involved in a conspiracy importing and distributing 990 kilogrammes of cocaine and nine kilogrammes of heroin between January and June 2020.
Messages also suggested more than £8.5 million in cash had been exchanged during the same period, with the their conversations also shining a light on their respective roles within the criminal underworld.
Along with another associate, Mohammed Imran Khan led the organised crime group (OCG) and had criminal contacts across the UK which he used to sell and distribute the drugs. He was directly behind arranging the sale of drugs and the firearm.
Zain Yusuf was predominantly a customer of Mohammed Imran Khan, but also had a key role organising the firearm exchange and in drug distribution. Messages also linked him to another OCG.
Imad Musa-Hamid was a trusted courier, with messages showing he was aware of the goods he was transporting. Supplied with vehicles with ‘hides’, he concealed drugs and the gun to avoid detection.
They each pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply class A drugs, selling/transferring a semi-automatic firearm, and selling/transferring ammunition.
Following a Luton Crown Court hearing on Wednesday (21 June), they were sentenced as follows:
- Mohammed Imran Khan was jailed for 23 years and seven months.
- Zain Yusuf was jailed for 22 years and six months, which also included a separate fraud offence.
- Imad Musa-Hamid was jailed for 18 years and 10 months.
Detective Inspector Ian Mawdesley, from ERSOU’s Regional Organised Crime Unit (ROCU), said: “This investigation involved three highly organised criminals, whose illicit dealings not only looked to profit from dangerous drugs but also presented a clear and unacceptable risk to the public through the sale of a gun.
“Through the data received as part of Operation Venetic – an international investigation into the criminal encrypted communications tool Encrochat – we have been given an additional insight into how criminal networks often work together for their own illicit gains.
“ERSOU has a wide range of specialist teams and incredibly talented investigators and analysts working tirelessly to build detailed intelligence pictures around criminal networks to help arrest those involved.
“The sentences handed down to these men are significant and should be a stern warning to criminals operating in eastern England; ERSOU has the skills and capabilities to identify and apprehend you, and we will strive to put you before the courts.”
