Six jailed over 'Ace' drugs line

Humble Toyota Yaris at centre of gang's racket flogging 500k worth of heroin and crack cocaine

- AMY WALKER

A TOYOTA Yaris in a quiet Bury car park was at the centre of a £500,000 drugs racket. The seemingly abandoned vehicle was closely watched by the leader of a gang in the Greater Manchester town.

At the end of each 'day shift, couriers and others would dump class A drugs to be sold, as well as a mobile phone used in the operation of the 'Ace Line. Members of the outfit accessed the car using a spare key hidden in a wheel arch, Manchester Crown Court heard.

Over five months, up to five kilos of crack cocaine and heroin was advertised for sale through the drugs line, worth up to £500,000.

Six of the group were jailed for conspiracy to supply class A drugs and conspiracy to possess criminal property. Prosecutor Joshua Bowker said that between January and June 2023, the group - led by Hassan Hussain conspired to supply huge amounts of crack and heroin.

Police were, however, successful in bringing them down.

"Despite the very great care taken by the gang to avoid detection, covert surveillance by police officers, taken together with telecommunications evidence, enabled the authorities to identify the key figures within the organisation and the methods used," Mr Bowker added.

"When, in June 2023, police officers executed co-ordinated arrests of the defendants involved and searched their home addresses, cash totalling in excess of £50,000 was seized, affording an insight into the scale of the operation."