Father And Son From Oldham Jailed

A father and son who headed a lucrative drugs network have both been jailed today.

Fazal Hussain, known locally as 'The Godfather', and his son Faisal were the heads of an organised crime group based in Oldham, and organised and controlled a network of taxi drivers and couriers who collected and distributed drugs throughout Oldham and the UK.

An investigation by Greater Manchester Police's Drugs Unit uncovered a conspiracy to distribute multi-kilos of heroin, cocaine and cannabis - potentially worth millions of pounds on the streets - by the Hussains and other members of their gang.

During the police operation, codenamed Liffey, police seized seven kilos of heroin worth more than £700,000, a kilo of cocaine worth anything up to £598,000 and 15 kilos of cannabis with a street value of up to £150,000.

44-year-old Fazal Hussain pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply cocaine, two counts conspiracy to supply heroin and becoming concerned in an arrangement to use criminal property at an earlier hearing. He was sentenced to nine years and 11 months in prison.

21-year-old Faisal Hussain pleaded guilty to possession of cannabis with intent to supply, conspiracy to supply cocaine, two counts of conspiracy to supply heroin, two counts of possession of criminal property and conspiracy to supply cannabis at an earlier hearing. He was sentenced to eight years and four months.

Other members of the gang have also been sentenced.

Chief Superintendent Tim Forber said: "Time and time again people in our communities are telling me and my officers that they want us to do something about the drug dealers blighting the area.

"Today we have secured the convictions of an organised crime group, headed by the Hussains, who used Oldham taxi drivers as couriers to ferry drugs across our town and throughout the UK. It was a lucrative scheme and so to have stopped these criminals in their tracks has effectively run this gang out of business and disrupted the supply of drugs onto our streets.

"I hope it clearly demonstrates that we will relentlessly pursue drug dealers who operate in Oldham and that no matter who you are or what walk of life you are from, anyone involved in drugs will face time behind bars."