12 Drug Dealers Busted in Birmingham County Lines Crackdown
In a major bust, a dozen criminals have been convicted for running a sophisticated drug empire across Birmingham and Solihull. The swoop comes after months of targeted police work aimed at smashing county lines gangs flooding the streets with class A drugs.
Operation Huntarian Strikes Hard
Under the codename Operation Huntarian, cops executed 17 warrants on May 23, 2023, targeting addresses linked to four key drug lines: Rico, Diego, Figo, and Potter. The crackdown, led by the County Lines Team since November 2022, aimed to choke off the networks behind booming local drug sales.
Each drug line blasted out bulk messages to thousands, drawing in a bustling clientele hungry for heroin and crack cocaine. Police recovered crucial evidence from seized phones and telecom records revealing the mastermind roles of key players.
Key Players Exposed
- Aadam and Haroon Iqbal and Mohammed Usman ran the Rico Line from Hodge Hill, juggling multiple phones to push drugs.
- Adam Slater, Tiahna Phillips, Yasine Sadiq, Mark Seeley, Amani Adams, Ilyas Sadiq, Anees Mahmood, Humair Ul Rehman, and Levy Mukwita handled the Diego, Figo, and Potter lines, each playing distinct roles in the delivery chains.
Illegal Empire’s Vast Reach and Profit
The drug lines handled over 1,000 calls daily and serviced more than 200 users, raking in an estimated £18,000 to £20,000 per week. Police seized a hefty stash of Class A drugs, piles of cash, and mobile phones coordinating the criminal empire during the raids.
Eleven suspects pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply heroin and crack cocaine at Birmingham Crown Court over the past eight months. The final defendant, Amani Adams, recently admitted guilt. All will be sentenced soon in a blow against drug crime in the region.
The operation is a bold step forward in crushing the drug menace wreaking havoc on communities across Birmingham and Solihull.
