Jubaer Ahmed, aged 36 and of Bournemouth, Belal Ahmed, aged 39 and of London, and Steven Waddington, aged 38 and of Bournemouth, appeared at Bournemouth Crown Court to be sentenced on Friday 7 July 2023 after admitting charges of conspiracy to supply class A and class B drugs, possessing class A drugs with intent to supply and using, acquiring or possessing criminal property.
Belal Ahmed also admitted an offence of possessing a class B drug with intent to supply.
Jubaer Ahmend was sentenced to nine years in jail, Belal Ahmed received a prison sentence of eight years and Steven Waddington was jailed for six years.
The charges related to an extensive investigation by Dorset Police’s Serious Organised Crime Investigation Team (SOCIT), acting on information supplied by the National Crime Agency and support from the South West Regional Organised Crime Unit (SWROCU) following the takedown of EncroChat, the encrypted messaging service the gang was using.
Following detailed enquiries, Jubaer Ahmed was stopped in a vehicle in London by officers from the Metropolitan Police on 15 June 2020. In his car officers found more than £75,000 in cash.
Belal Ahmed was arrested in London later the same day and a series of warrants were conducted at addresses in the Bournemouth area that were linked to the defendants.
At an address in West Cliff Road, they found numerous containers holding what were found to be class A drugs, mainly cocaine and ecstasy.
At another address in Alma Road, officers found further quantities of cocaine as well as cannabis.
Following further enquiries Waddington was arrested at his address in Bournemouth and six small packets of cocaine were found in his bedroom.
Detectives seized a number of electronic devices that were found to show evidence of the drug supply operation the defendants were involved in, and the total estimated value of the drugs seized was around £40,000.
Detective Superintendent Andy Dilworth, Director of Intelligence for Dorset Police, said: “Through our extensive investigation and by exposing the encrypting messaging system used by these defendants, we were able to disrupt a significant drug supply operation that was transporting drugs from London to deal in the Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole area.
“We will continue to work with our national and regional partners to do all we can to make Dorset a hostile place for these drug supply networks to operate and to ensure those involved are identified and prosecuted.
“We continue to urge anyone with information relating to the supply of drugs in their communities to report it to Dorset Police either online at www.dorset.police.uk or by calling 101. If a crime is in progress, always dial 999.”
