Major Drug Gang Busted: Over 30 Years Jail Time Handed Down
Three men, including a Bath local, have been locked up for a total of over 30 years. They were part of a ruthless organised crime ring trafficking huge amounts of drugs and cash between London, the Midlands, and the West Country.
Kingpin Adil Riaz Gets 24 Years for Cocaine Empire
Adil Riaz, 31, formerly from Grimesthorpe, Sheffield, copped 24 years. He pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply more than 160kg of cocaine, moving it from Sheffield to Bath-based crime boss Romaine Hyman. Riaz also laundered over £2.3 million in illegal cash.
Riaz’s Sheffield crimes didn’t stop there. South Yorkshire Police nabbed him over two 2020 robberies and firearms charges after finding a terrifying weapons stash at one of his addresses. The haul included a fully automatic AR-15 assault rifle, silencers, ammo, and three live hand grenades. Locals had to evacuate as the Army rendered the explosives safe.
Romaine Hyman: The £26m Drug Lord Behind It All
Romaine Hyman, the mastermind, is already serving 26 years after being convicted in February. He ran four conspiracies to supply cocaine and heroin across the South West and laundered millions from this filthy trade.
One of Hyman’s young lieutenants, 20-year-old Tekla Selassie from Bath, got three years. Selassie acted as Hyman’s assistant and lookout. Using the encrypted EncroChat messenger under the handle ‘Youngtek’, he helped ferry drugs and cash around Bath and Bristol.
“Yo you good…?…Cool I’m getting the eta for all today’s jobs gonna be a busy one,” Hyman messaged Selassie on one hectic day.
Police watched as the duo moved £540,000 in cash and collected 7kg of cocaine in Bath. Selassie also kept watch during their May 2020 arrest after receiving seven kilos of cocaine from London. He even cycled suspiciously around Hyman’s area to spot threats.
Cheltenham Man Tobias Slender Jailed for Five Years
Tobias Slender, 44, from Cheltenham, was handed five years after admitting to supplying 2kg of cocaine to Hyman across three deliveries.
Police Praise Team Effort in Taking Down Crime Network
DCI Charlotte Tucker of South West ROCU said:
“This investigation has dismantled an organised crime network raking in millions by flooding the South West with class A drugs. “Seven people have now been sentenced, with Hyman at the centre serving 26 years. Messages showed his plan to shift risky tasks onto others, like the then 17-year-old Selassie. “The amount of drugs, cash, and weapons seized highlighted the serious threat this gang posed to our communities. The sentences reflect that risk. “It’s been a huge team effort with CPS. More are still facing sentencing and trials as the case continues.”
Ruona Iguyovwe, CPS senior specialist prosecutor, added:
“These three men played key roles in a sophisticated gang supplying class A drugs in the South West. If the drugs and weapons hadn’t been seized, communities would’ve suffered massively. Police and CPS swift action built a strong case, breaking up a major criminal network and shutting down their dangerous operation.”
