Drug dealer Abubakr Ahmed, 23, has been sentenced to six years in prison after police discovered he was in possession of a prohibited knuckle duster capable of discharging an electrical current. The sentence was handed down at Bradford Crown Court on Wednesday following his arrest in June.
County line operation uncovered by police
Ahmed was the operator of a county drugs line known as the ‘Khanny line’, which supplied heroin and crack cocaine between West and North Yorkshire. Between February 11 and June 11 this year, an estimated 2.23kg of heroin and crack cocaine, worth £223,380, was supplied through the operation.
West Yorkshire Police’s Operation Phoenix team launched an investigation after becoming aware of the phone line being used to supply drugs. Officers linked the operation to Ahmed and executed a warrant at his home on Sladen Street, Keighley, on June 11, where he was arrested.
Weapons and drugs seized during search
During the search of Ahmed’s address, officers found several mobile phones, including the handset used to run the drugs line. They also uncovered individual deals of crack cocaine and cocaine, larger quantities of heroin, cash, electronic scales, and drugs packaging. Among the items seized was a black knuckle duster stun gun, a prohibited weapon with three finger holes and a notch on top, where police believe an electrical current could be discharged when it came into contact with someone.
Ahmed was charged with a string of offences, including being concerned in the supply of heroin and crack cocaine, possession with intent to supply drugs, and possession of criminal property. He was also charged with possessing an electrical incapacitation device.
Court rejects coercion claims
Ahmed, of Leeds Road, Bradford, admitted the offences but claimed he had been coerced into holding the drugs because of a debt linked to his own drug dependency. The court rejected these claims.
Detective Inspector Helen Chapman, who heads West Yorkshire Police’s Operation Phoenix county lines taskforce, said Ahmed had been behind a drugs line supplying ‘very substantial amounts’ of heroin and cocaine. She said: ‘He was linked to these offences through a comprehensive investigation by specialist officers who are dedicated to taking down these types of criminal enterprise which fuel other types of crime and serious violence in our communities.’
The six-year sentence reflects the severity of the offences and the dangerous nature of the weapon found in Ahmed’s possession.
