'Drug criminality causes misery within communities' Four men jailed for Walsall drug offences

Releasing a statement today, July 29, it said it jailed Jabbar Nadeem, Zubair Mehmood, Rohail Ali and Fida Butt for a total of 27 years for their involvement in supplying Class A drugs like cocaine and heroin - whose drug dealing racket is believed to have operated across Walsall between July 2022 and January 2023.

Jabbar Nadeem, 25, of London Road, Birmingham has been jailed for seven years for supply of Class A drugs and three and a half years for criminal damage and threats to kill to run concurrently.

Zubair Mehmood, 26, of Large Avenue, Darlaston, has been jailed for six and a half years for supply of Class A drugs.

Rohail Ali, 27, of Rutter Street, Walsall, has been jailed for six years for supply of Class A drugs.

Fida Butt, 18, has been jailed for four years for supply of Class A drugs.

The court heard how the four men were stopped by police in their cars across Walsall after a warrant at an address in Oldbury Road, Rowley Regis in October 2023 uncovered drug line phones linking them to the drugs line.

Then, between October and December 2022 they stopped the drug dealer cars in Bloxwich Lane, Bentley Lane, Miner Street, Darlaston Road and Stafford Street.

Officers then seized phones, drugs and made arrests following the stops and began building a case which showed that the gang had been operating across the area.

The seized phones were examined and officers visited stores where they had been topped up, to gather CCTV evidence linking the suspects to the drugs phones. The phones were used for clients to order drugs and to communicate with each other.

During the investigation officers also searched the gang’s home addresses and found drug paraphernalia including drugs scales and paperwork connecting them to the phone line. A large quantity of cash was also seized.

The men all gave a 'no comment' interview in custody and pleaded not guilty at court, however, the work of the force's county lines taskforce and digital forensics officers proved their guilt and they were sentenced at Wolverhampton Crown Court on July 19.

DC Holdsworth, from the County Lines Taskforce, said: "We were determined to bring these people who used drug criminality to fund their lifestyle to justice. This organised crime gang were selling crack cocaine and heroin to drug dealers across Walsall.

"Drug criminality causes misery within communities, it has a ripple effect on so many people from the drug users who have to fund their habit, to the businesses and law-abiding public who become victims of crime because of it.

"Four people who ran a drugs line through Walsall are now in jail and we hope this sends a warning to anyone else who feels they are above the law. We work hard to bring criminals to justice and will continue our fight against drug crime in Walsall."