Drugs worth more than £4 million were seized when police busted a worldwide dark web supply network based in the North East.
A large-scale distribution operation was supplying narcotics around the globe in a complex and sophisticated operation being run by an organised crime group. A court heard the National Crime Agency intercepted packages of drugs destined for the USA, Norway, Israel and various UK addresses.
And when they busted the "command and control" centre in Washington, Mubinar Rahman was revealed as a vital cog in the wheel of the operation. Now the accountancy student has paid a heavy price for his involvement after he was jailed for nine years at Newcastle Crown Court.
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Nick Dry, prosecuting, told the court: "By June 2020 the National Crime Agency had identified an established criminal enterprise centred around South Shields, concerning the large scale drugs offending, including exportation and importation and domestic supply of MDMA in crystal and tablet form, sourced from various dark web operators, mostly based abroad.
"The drugs were sent to various North East addresses and were collected by the defendant and others and they would supply to others on the dark web at home and abroad."
In July 2020, 15 packages were intercepted by the UK Border Force. They were destined for the USA, Norway, Israel and various UK locations. Further packages were also seized by the National Crime Agency in the postal system containing multiple kilos of MDMA.
In July 2020 Rahman was arrested outside Neville Court, in Washington, a flat that was being used to package, warehouse drugs which would be supplied in "industrial amounts" in a "sophisticated" operation. The property was described as the "command and control" centre and somewhere that amphetamine was produced.
Inside the flat there were 23 kilos of MDMA, 132 kilos of amphetamines, thousands of xanax tablets.
The court heard the total amount of drugs either seized or intercepted was worth £4.3 million. This was made up of 52 kilos of MDMA crystals, worth £2.1 million, 47,817 ecstasy tablets, worth £478,000, 132 kilos of amphetamine, worth £1.3 million and 6,000 xanex, worth £6,000.
Prosecutor Nick Dry said said it was a "drugs supply operation with worldwide reach" and that it was "hidden beneath the cloak of the dark web".
When quizzed, Rahman admitted he had been working for an organised crime group for 18 months. He said he was at college when he was approached by others asking him to help. He said it started off with him posting ecstasy but the volumes grew and said he was being paid around £1,500 a month by gang bosses. He had been trusted to recruit others to help with the flourishing trade in drugs.
Rahman, 26, of Henry Nelson Street, South Shields pleaded guilty to trafficking and being concerned in the supply of MDMA, LSD, crystal meth, heroin and cocaine, ketamine, amphetamine, xanex and diazepam.
Judge Tim Gittins said the amounts of drugs involved was "quite staggering" and told him: "You are paying the consequences of being involved in a business that traded in misery and death. You should take your punishment, rehabilitate yourself to what you know you can be, a much better and worthwhile member of society."
Christopher Knox, defending, said Rahman was the one taking the risks for those higher up the chain. He added that he was studying to be an accountant and working hard but developed a taste for drugs.
