A husband and wife have been locked up for drug dealing after cops raided their marital home as part of a crackdown on turf wars between rival gangs in Rochdale. Rashid Hussain, 35, and Szenm Asghar, 37, sat alongside each other in the dock after facing justice for their cocaine and heroin dealing racket on the 'Sniper' drugs line.
The couple were also found to have huge amounts of cash and designer clothes. Their home was targeted in an early morning raid as part of a police operation targeting 'turf wars' between rival drugs gangs in Rochdale, prosecutors said.
Both rival outfits launched 'tit for tat' attacks on each other and 'premises, cars and individuals' were targeted, Manchester Crown Court heard. Hussain and Asghar were not accused of being involved in any of the violence but their home in Glen Morag Gardens, on a plush newly developed site in Bamford, was raided by police in December last year as part of the GMP operation.
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In the house police found more than £20,000 in cash, designer clothes for men and women worth almost £18,000, and a number of Rolex watches. Hussain was claiming Universal Credit, while Asghar told police she'd previously worked for the DWP and in corporate banking.
"All of them, say the prosecution, are inconsistent with a man living on benefits," prosecutor Jeremy Lasker said. Police also seized scales and a slate, which both had traces of drugs, large numbers of plastic bags and a kilo of cutting agent.
A black Nokia phone which sent out messages advertising the 'Sniper' drugs line was also found. A notebook on the dining room table gave police an indication of the dealing the couple were involved in, showing they received at least £34,000 in income from their racket over a six week period.
The pair were arrested and Hussain, who has been previously jailed for dealing drugs, denied being involved in organised crime. Asghar said she'd been in a relationship with Hussain for two years, and said she knew he was unemployed but 'didn't know where he got his money from'.
She said she'd previously worked at the DWP earning up to £1,800 a month and before that had worked in corporate banking. Hussain was remanded in custody, but Asghar was released on bail and went to live with family in Bury.
Months later, in March this year, police visited the property in Brierley Street and seized a 'substantial' amount of cocaine and heroin, as well as almost £15,000 in cash. Detectives found 275 wraps of heroin and 174 wraps of cocaine, as well as £2,390 in cash in an envelope, £2,595 and almost £10,000 stashed inside two scarves, and a further £475.
A black Nokia phone was found with references to the 'Sniper' drugs line. Asghar told police that when Hussain was locked up, she was told that 'money was owed' and she 'felt she had no choice' to take on the drug dealing operation.
Defending Asghar, Gerard Doran said she had received threats and acted out of 'misguided loyalty to her husband'. He said she is genuinely remorseful and her actions were 'out of character'.
Richard Simons, defending Hussain, said he pleaded guilty at the first opportunity. Hussain admitted possessing criminal property, and two counts of being concerned in the supply of class A drugs.
Asghar pleaded guilty to participating in the activities of an organised crime group, two counts of possession of criminal property and two counts of possession of class A drugs with intent to supply. Sentencing, Judge Nicholas Dean KC told them: "You Rashid Hussain are a long standing dealer in class A drugs, it seems to me for a period of approximately 15 years you have been engaged in dealing in heroin and cocaine as a business.
"You to a certain extent enjoyed a reasonable lifestyle as a consequence of your dealing in drugs. You Ms Asghar were the wife of Rashid Hussain, I accept that to a not insignificant extent you were influenced by your husband, but you knew the type of man he was.
"You have benefited from it, you have benefited from the possession of proceeds of crime. You in effect continued his business or at least participated in what had been his business."
Hussain was jailed for seven-and-a-half years, and Asghar for three years and four months.
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