Drug trade in Keighley brings 'serious disorder' to town

At Bradford Crown Court 54-year-old father-of-twelve Zaffar Iqbal was described as being part of an organised group that was “wreaking havoc” in the town and blighting the lives of people that lived there.

He was caught as part of “Operation Saintpond”, run by West Yorkshire Police’s organised crime unit, which targets drug gangs across the county.

Prosecutor Alisha Kaye said an officer called a drugs line on November 1 last year and asked to buy two wraps of crack cocaine.

Zaffar Iqbal (Image: West Yorkshire Police)

The officer was directed to Russell Street in Keighley where they would be called back five minutes later.

When the deal took place the officer paid £40 for the two wraps to two men in a black Seat Leon, one of whom was later identified as Iqbal.

He was arrested on April 19 this year at an address in Granville Street, Keighley, where officers also found drug paraphernalia including scales, grip seal bags, a small bag of cannabis, and two mobile phones including a “burner” phone.

He later pleaded guilty to supplying crack cocaine, a Class A drug.

Miss Kaye said: “He admitted being the keeper of the Seat Leon. He said he was a cannabis user. He denied gaining anything from supplying drugs.”

The court heard that Iqbal had previous convictions for identical offences and received a four-year prison sentence in 2017.

In a statement read to the court Inspector John Barker, who heads Keighley Neighbourhood Policing Team, said the drug trade had brought violence to the town from associated gangs and rival and/or competing gangs.

He said: “It brings in serious disorder involving weapons, and this causes a significant impact on the local community which is left fearing for their safety.

“This often blights the lives of those living in the local area.”

Looking down over Keighley. Picture: Philip Roger Bailey/T&A Camera Club (Image: Philip Roger Bailey: T&A Camera Club)

Mitigating, Michael Greenhalgh said Iqbal, who appeared via video link from HMP Leeds, suffered from various health issues including diabetes and had had three heart attacks, which meant he had been unable to work for a prolonged period. He was also a heavy consumer of cannabis.

He said Iqbal, a father of 12 and a grandfather of three, had “a chequered history” and had made “a series of bad choices” by getting involved in drugs supply.

He added: “He’s got himself involved in these offences because he has associated in the past and people still know him. He was identified as someone who could deal drugs. In return, he’d receive cannabis, which he wasn’t able to fund legitimately.

“He is frankly too old to be involved in this kind of offending, he recognises that.”

Sentencing Iqbal to four-and-a-half years in prison, His Honour Judge Colin Burn described him as “a routine drug dealer” who had a history of being involved in an illegal trade.

He said: “This was a long-standing system which was in place. It was described as being up and running for a very long time in one form or another either with your involvement or with the involvement of others.

“This activity is wreaking havoc in Keighley, which is why this operation was set up and you were one of the people caught in that net.

“You knew exactly what you were doing when you got back involved in this. There’s no doubt you were playing a significant role in it.”

He warned Iqbal: “If you were convicted of a further drug trafficking offence – if you got back into it when you are released – [the minimum sentence] would be one of seven years.”

He ordered the forfeiture and destruction of the drugs and the mobile phones.