West Midlands: Moment gang who supplied £600k of drugs and flaunted lavish lifestyles online are arrested
Footage shows the moment armed officers arrested members of a £600k drugs gang.
Police bodycam footage shows the moment gang members who flooded a West Midlands city with £600k of drugs were arrested.
The organised crime group ran the ‘Nico’ line, facilitating the supply of cocaine, crack cocaine and heroin into Worcester.
West Mercia Police said the group made 24 journeys between Luton and Worcester supplying what is estimated to be over £600,000 worth of drugs.
According to the force, members of the group openly flaunted their lavish lifestyles on social media, showcasing designer watches and large sums of cash.
Investigators identified the ringleader as Hashim Malik, supported by his ‘trusted right-hand men’ Karim Moustati and Saood Ali and courier Muhiz Jamshed.
Police say the gang used a cloud-based notes system to track drug orders, monitor debts, and manage their illegal trade efficiently and over time, flooded Worcester with more than 6kg of cocaine, crack cocaine, and heroin - causing significant harm to vulnerable individuals through addiction and debt.
The gang members were sentenced as follows:
Hashim Malik, 29, from Roydon Close, Luton - sentenced to nine years and two months.
Muhiz Jamshed, 24, from Dallow Road, Luton - sentenced to five years and two months.
Saood Ali, 24, from Lark Hill, Worcester - sentenced to four years and two months.
Karim Moustati, 23, from Grasmere Drive, Worcester - sentenced to four years.
Detective Constable Chris Dougan, of West Mercia Police’s Serious and Organised Crime Unit (SOCU), said: “This was a large and detailed investigation that led to an organised crime group being dismantled. In doing so, we’ve prevented hundreds of thousands of pounds' worth of class A drugs from hitting the streets of Worcester.
“I am pleased to see the key players receive significant prison sentences that reflect the seriousness of their crimes. Putting the gang behind bars for several years can only be a good thing for Worcester.
“Tackling serious and organised crime is a priority, and we will continue to focus our efforts on disrupting the criminal behaviour of those who bring harm to our communities.”
