FOUR men and a woman have been jailed for a total of more than 17 years as part of the Operation Errantdance police crackdown on “ring and bring” mobile drug dealers in Bradford.

The defendants were involved with the Tommy Line, that “shamelessly” dealt drugs outside the city’s magistrates court, and the Was Line, that tried to recruit an undercover police officer to drive for it for £500 a week.

Ammaar Arif, 30, of Cecil Avenue, Great Horton, Bradford, and Ziarat Ali, 36, of Glendare Terrace, Lidget Green, Bradford, were involved in the Tommy Line, Bradford Crown Court heard yesterday.

Arif was jailed for four years after pleading guilty to two offences of supplying heroin in March last year and two of possession with intent to supply Class A drugs on October 9.

Ali was locked up for three years and four months after admitting three charges of supplying Class A drugs in March.

Prosecutor Philip Adams said Arif and Ali dealt drugs to test purchase officer “Emily” from a Nissan Micra after directing her to Bradford University.

Ali then sold drugs to Emily outside Bradford and Keighley Magistrates Court in Bradford city centre.

Police seized around £11,500 worth of drugs from Arif’s home on October 9, including £8,944 of crack cocaine and £2,551 of heroin.

There was also £655 in cash on his bed, Mr Adams said.

He told the court that Ali was in charge of the Tommy Line phone while Arif stored the drugs.

Andrew Dallas, for Arif, said he was orphaned as a child and fell into bad company. He had worked in a factory making sponge cakes and was planning a new life away from Bradford.

Ian Howard, for Ali, said he was pressed into dealing after running up a debt to buy household goods. He was a father of four who worked as a baker.

The Recorder of Bradford, Judge Jonathan Durham Hall QC, said the pair were “blatantly street dealing,” including outside the city’s magistrates court.

“How shameless can you be?” he asked.

Four more defendants then appeared in the dock to be sentenced for their roles in the Was Line.

Waseem Akhtar, who ran the line, was jailed for four years and eight months.

Akhtar, 33, of Beacon Street, Wibsey, Bradford, admitted 12 offences of Class A drug trafficking and two of possession with intent to supply.

Connor McCarthy, 27, of Swinnow Lane, Bramley, was imprisoned for three years after pleading guilty to eight counts of supplying Class A drugs.

Saira Hussan, 30, of Saxton Street, Liversedge, was jailed for two and a half years. She drove for the Was Line and admitted ten offences of supplying Class A drugs and two of possession with intent.

Raza Shah, 21, of Gain Lane, Thornbury, Bradford, was sentenced to 20 months imprisonment, suspended for two years, with 300 hours of unpaid work and a six month curfew order.

He was in the back of the car on one occasion when the Was Line was dealing and he stored £3,300 worth of drugs at his home. He admitted one offence of drug dealing and two of possession with intent.

Shah was of previous good character and enticed into the drugs ring, the court heard.

Mr Dallas, Shah’s barrister, said: “There has been an element of grooming in his case.”

“You have dipped your toe in this, I expect you have learned your lesson,” Judge Durham Hall told Shah.

He said Hussain’s was “a sad case.” She had no previous convictions and acted out of misplaced loyalty to her former partner, Akhtar.

McCarthy had a skilled job until he became addicted to crack cocaine, needing up to 15 wraps a day, and running up a £1,500 debt. He stopped dealing when he had paid back the money, his barrister, Frances Pencheon, said.

Mr Adams said that law enforcement officer Emily was offered a job as a driver by Akhtar during a drug deal.

He said she would earn £500 a week for a 12 hour day, expanding the Was Line into the Leeds area.

Akhtar, who had 100 wraps of drugs with him in the car, said he preferred female drivers to “lads that drove like idiots.”

He also told Emily he had been drug dealing in the area for ten to 15 years.

Judge Durham Hall said the defendants were from “impeccable” families who were distressed and disturbed by their offending.

He said street drug peddling was “an evil trade that is killing people in their hundreds.”

Operation Errantdance snared dozens of street dealers in Bradford East in the first half of last year. Undercover police officers posing as addicts lured the different supply lines to meeting points in the area where other users were often waiting.

Covert photos were then taken of the dealers and drivers who were then later arrested.