A 'stash man' who stored £800,000 worth of cocaine at his parents' house for a gangster family has been jailed on his birthday. Nabeel Rashad, from Bury, was locked up for 10 years on the day he turned 29.
Rashad was part of an Oldham -based drugs outfit which operated on a 'massive scale', flooding the North West and cities such as Birmingham, Leeds and Bradford with cocaine and heroin. The firm was led by father and son duo Faizal Hussain Snr and Faizal Hussain Jnr, prosecutors allege.
Hussain Jnr was previously sentenced to 16 years in jail. His father has 'fled from justice', Manchester Crown Court has heard.
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Rashad descended into crime after becoming a drug addict and building up a debt to the gang, the court heard. After police discovered almost 15 kilos of cocaine at the house in Bury which Rashad shared with his parents and siblings, he told officers that his family knew nothing about the drugs.
If they had, they'd have 'kicked him out', Rashad told police. Rashad said he had been 'forced' to store the drugs and was afraid he might be attacked if he refused.
The cocaine seized at the house could have been worth up to £806,000, prosecutor Matthew Conway said. Mr Conway told how the gang used the encrypted EncroChat network as part of their huge drug dealing plot.
Rashad was given an EncroChat phone and was known as 'Limited Turtle' on the network. As well as acting as the gang's 'stash man', he couriered drugs and was involved in handovers as far afield as Birmingham.
In total the gang was linked to about 100 kilos of cocaine and around 14 kilos of heroin. They carried on dealing even after the EncroChat network was compromised, following the law enforcement hacking of the secretive platform.
In July last year, police raided Rashad's home on South Bank Road in Bury after observing him carrying 'large and heavy bin liners' into the property, seizing the huge amount of cocaine during the subsequent search.
Defending, Simon Gurney said Rashad comes from a 'law abiding family'. His parents are 'professionals' and his siblings are in 'good employment', he said.
Rashad was spoken highly of in 'impressive' testimonials which described him as 'kind hearted' and 'caring'. He made deliveries to vulnerable people during the Covid pandemic, the court was told.
He was told he could pay off his debt to the crime family by working for them, Mr Gurney said. "He is devastated about the position in which he put himself, and the impact that has had on his family who he has let down," the barrister said.
Sentencing, Judge Alan Conrad KC said of the huge drugs plot: "This was drug trafficking on a massive scale, the type of offending that cases degradation, death and further crime to result." Rashad, of South Bank Road, Bury, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to supply class A drugs and one count of conspiracy to convert criminal property.
Hussain Jnr, 31, of Cranbrook Street, Oldham, and another man, Rezwan Javed, 45, also known as Raja Res, of Meadow Close, Burnley, who acted as a courier for the gang, were both sentenced in April. Hussain Jnr was locked up for 16 years, and Javed received an eight year sentence.
After Friday's sentencing hearing, Detective Constable Marc Walby, of GMP Serious and Organised Crime Group (SOCG), said: "This gang thought they were able to avoid detection by using these devices; they have instead presented us with a treasure trove of evidence that has enabled us to take this criminal group off our streets and highlight our commitment to removing drugs from our communities.
"Our team worked meticulously with other agencies to piece together a timeline of Rasheed’s actions to bring about charges and then a conviction for his crimes. The severity of his offences should not be underestimated, and the quantities of drugs we are talking about here are beyond substantial. The removal of Rasheed and his associates will have a discernible difference on the streets of Oldham and across the North West.
"Information or concerns from the public regarding drug supply in your area plays a key part in our process. If you have any information which may aid our investigations into the trade of drugs across Greater Manchester, then please get in touch with us on the numbers provided below.
"If you have any concerns or see anything suspicious contact us directly on 101 or gmp.police.uk or Crimestoppers, anonymously on 0800 555 111. Always call 999 in an emergency."
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