Two men who formed a business partnership to fast-track Class A drugs to addicts on Bradford’s streets have been locked up for a total of seven and a half years.
One crack cocaine drop on the pair’s stamping ground in Girlington took just three minutes to arrive.
Waqas Hussain, 19, of Agar Street, Girlington, was sentenced to four years detention in a young offender institution for nine drug dealing offences and breach of a suspended sentence order.
Umar Aslam, 31, also of Agar Street, was jailed for three and a half years for seven offences of street dealing, at a separate hearing at Bradford Crown Court yesterday.
Prosecutor Richard Davies said the men sold wraps of crack cocaine and heroin on demand to undercover police officers posing as drug addicts over four weeks in February and March last year.
They were arrested as part of Operation Stalebank, a crackdown on street drug dealing in the West Bowling, Girlington and Manningham areas of Bradford.
Both men pleaded guilty to the charges and Hussain also admitted breach of a seven-month suspended sentence for affray.
Mr Davies said the men ran the “Umar” drug line, often meeting their customers outside Girlington Library on Willow Street.
Hussain approached two officers in the street and told them: “Try my gear, it’s the best.”
He then rang one of them to ask what the quality of the heroin and crack cocaine was like and to inquire if more was needed.
Hussain also said: “This is nice stuff. You won’t be disappointed,” as he dished out two wraps of heroin to the undercover police officers on another occasion.
His barrister, Shufqat Khan, said the teenager had just turned 18 at the time and had since changed his ways.
“His father is devastated by what his son has been up to. He knows he has brought shame on his family and that is something he deeply regrets,” Mr Khan said.
Hussain was locked up for 41 months for the drugs offences and seven months on top for breach of the suspended sentence order.
Nicholas De La Poer, Aslam’s barrister, said he had mental health problems brought on by overuse of cannabis.
The Recorder of Bradford, Judge Roger Thomas QC, said the men went into business together to street deal Class A drugs.
They knew there were drugs squad officers on patrol in the area, but persisted in plying their trade almost under their noses.
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