County lines drug dealer jailed for six years

A county lines drug dealer who ran "substantial amounts" of heroin and crack cocaine between West Yorkshire and North Yorkshire has been jailed for six years.

Abubakr Ahmed, 23, of Leeds Road in Bradford, was jailed at Bradford Crown Court on Wednesday after earlier admitting charges including possessing and supplying the drugs.

Police found crack cocaine, cocaine, heroin, weapons and cash when they arrested Ahmed on 11 June and searched a property in Sladen Street, Keighley.

Det Insp Helen Chapman, who heads county lines task force Operation Phoenix, said the crimes had fuelled "other types of crime and serious violence in our communities".

"Ahmed has been shown to be behind a drugs line that was supplying very substantial amounts of heroin and cocaine between West Yorkshire and North Yorkshire," she said.

"He was linked to these offences through a comprehensive investigation by specialist officers who are dedicated to taking down these types of criminal enterprise."

Ahmed was discovered to be operating the "Khanny line", which was valued at £223,380 and supplied 2.23kg of crack cocaine and heroin between 11 February and 11 June.

The court rejected Ahmed's claim he was being coerced by others over a drugs debt linked to his own dependency and was only holding the drugs on their behalf.

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