Preston and Chorley drugs gang jailed for 132 years

Prison sentences totalling 132 years have been handed down to a drugs supply gang which operated in Preston and Chorley.

It is believed that between £2.15m and £3.1m worth of crack cocaine and heroin was distributed over a 12-month period by the gang which was headed by three brothers – Haq Nawaz, Dil Nawaz and Asim Nawaz.

They controlled an ‘army’ of drug dealers and runners, some of who were exploited juveniles, who operated at street level.

Mobile telephone numbers were utilised as drug lines to advertise drugs for sale and to take orders for Class A drugs.

The group had several drug lines which operated in Chorley and Preston namely Ribbleton, Moor Nook and New Hall Lane areas.

Block text messages would be sent out to multiple recipients to indicate that the gang were ready to supply drugs.

These blocks of texts were sent out several times within a 24-hour period, pointing to a round-the-clock distribution network.

It was the network of dealers and runners who operated the lines.

Lancashire Police launched an intelligence led investigation into the drug lines which resulted in numerous arrests being made in June last year.

Seized mobile phones and call data were analysed to determine the roles played by the various people involved.

Over the last few months, 30 people have appeared before Preston Crown Court and been sentenced at various hearings for conspiracy to supply Class A controlled drugs.

Detective Inspector Paul Whitehead of Lancashire Police said: “This was an organised criminal gang involved in the supply of crack cocaine and heroin on to the streets of Preston and Chorley.

“At the head of it were the Nawaz brothers who used dealers and runners to sell the drugs to users.

“The supply and use of drugs causes misery in our communities, and Lancashire Police works tirelessly to bring down supply networks and bring those involved to justice.”

Our investigation was part of Op Warrior which is aimed at disrupting and dismantling organised crime in the county.

Op Warrior targets individuals and gangs involved in crime, as well as associated issues such as violence and intimidation, large scale drug supply, exploitation, and fraud, all of which can cause serious harm to local communities.

Andrew Snowden, Police and Crime Commissioner for Lancashire, said: It’s important that we send a clear message to criminals that police are coming to get you.

“This is another great example of the work officers do. Every single day, to disrupt and dismantle organised crime gangs and put them behind bars.

“It’s what Op Warrior is all about, taking the fight to criminals that blight our communities, delivering on my Fighting Crime Plan and seeing even more arrests, more asset seizures, and more drugs off our streets.

“Results like this, which will directly make Lancashire safer, are what the public want to see and deliver on a top priority in my Fighting Crime Plan.”

Those sentenced were:

• Haq Nawaz, 29, of Robin Hey, Leyland: 13 years and 10 months.
• Dil Nawaz, 27, of Browning Road, Preston: 12 years
• Asim Nawaz, 24, of Eaves Lane, Chorley: 12 years.
• Louis Brown, 32, of Longley Close, Fulwood, Preston: Six years and nine months.
• Christopher Edgington, 26, of Derby Square, Preston: Six years and eight months.
• Callum Green, 24, of Burholme Road, Ribbleton, Preston: Six years.
• Zain Hussain, 19, of Hawthorn Road, Ribbleton, Preston: Five years and six months.
• Adam Patel, 19, of Leo Case Court, Preston: Five years and six months.
• Lewis Reynolds, 22, of Willow Crescent, Ribbleton, Preston: Five years.
• Hassan Saeed, 25, of New Hall Lane, Preston: Five years.
• Reece Booth, 21, of Poplar Grove, Ribbleton, Preston: Four years and six months.
• Lee Davies, 46, of Pope Lane, Ribbleton, Preston: Four years and six months.
• Elliott Slater, 24, of Burnslack Road, Ribbleton, Preston: Four years and six months.
• David Cartwright, 50, of Grizedale Crescent, Ribbleton, Preston: Four years and four months.
• Atiq Sawar, 39, of Knowles Street, Preston: Four years.
• Cris Ianson, 22, of Downing Street, Preston: Three years and nine months.
• Sohail Ahmeddad, 27, of Fishwick Parade, Preston: Three years and nine months.
• Jack Johnson, 25, of Croxton Avenue, Rochdale. Three years and eight months
• Preston Forbes, 19, of Egan Street, Preston: Three years and eight months.
• Dylan Quayle, 24, Thirlmere Road, Chorley: Three years and four months.
• Callum Cowperthwaite, 19, of Geoffrey Street, Preston: Three years.
• Michael Barr., 38, of Dorman Road, Ribbleton, Preston: Three years.
• Daniel Gould, 19, of Cemetery Road, Preston: Two years and eight months.
• Tammy Wane, 40, of Tunbridge Street, Preston: Two years and three months.
• Bhavesh Parekh, 42, of Northcote Road, Preston: Two years and two months.
• Jerrell Ryan, 19, of Downing Street, Preston: 18 months.
• Szymon Skurka, 19, of Wanstead Street, Preston: 18 month suspended sentence.
• Kian Makinson, 21, of Grizedale Crescent, Ribbleton, Preston: Four year suspended sentence.
• 17-year-old boy from Preston: 18 month youth supervision order
• 17-year-old boy from Preston: 12 month youth rehabilitation order.