Exclusive:Sheffield drug runners caught with 'bin bags' of Class As worth £1m jailed for 20 years
Police staked out the house in Fulwood and saw the men collect literal bin bags of heroin
Three drug runners were seen by police collecting literal bin bags of Class A drugs from a pricey Sheffield neighbourhood.
Police staked out the house in St Alban’s Road, Fulwood, as part of “Operation Dime Kilo” on October 8 in a bid to root out a major drug operation.
What they might not have known was that, by the end of the day, they would seize over 30kg of Class A’s, firearms, and everything a group could need to set up a supply and manufacturing hub.
Stake out in St Alban’s Road
Sheffield Crown Court heard their first catch of the day rolled in at around 11am, when grey Audi A5 arrived at the property.
They watched as the driver - Oliver Hughes, 36, of Dacre Avenue, Wakefield - quickly exited the house carrying a bin bag.
He threw it in the boot and left - but officers tailed the car and pulled Hughes over to have a look for themselves.
Inside, they found five kilograms of heroin, with a street value of up to £130,000.
Boxes of heroin
The surveillance didn’t end with Hughes in custody, and next to arrive on St Alban’s Road was a Mercedes Vito minivan - with plates showing it was also a taxi.
It was then officers saw the property’s owner - Graham McIlhagga, 60 - emerge from the house with a wheelbarrow containing two boxes and a yellow bag for life.
The taxi driver - Suqlain Hussain, 37, of no fixed abode - grabbed the boxes and left, but he too was followed by officers.
When they searched his van, they found an astonishing 26.5kg of heroin, and 5.5kg of cocaine, worth up to £821,000 in total.
Drug raid
Police then decided it was time to search the home, where McIlhagga was arrested.
Along with another 1.5kg of heroin in McIlhagga’s VW Passat, police found a hub of drug manufacturing in the garage, including a hydraulic press, vacuum wraps and scales.
But also in the home, concealed in a black hold-all bag, was a black carbine rifle, a pistol, and ammunition.
In total, over £1m of Class A drugs were seized before they could reach the streets.
Conspiracy
The three men were later charged with conspiracy to supply Class A drugs, with McIlhagga also facing firearm offences.
They made no comment in interviews, but later pleaded guilty to all charges.
At Sheffield Crown Court on May 8, each of their defence barristers spoke of their clients’ remorse and suggested they were only drug runners taking orders from higher ups.
But the judge, Recorder Mr Ian Mullarkey, singled out Hughes as “playing a significant role” in the conspiracy, saying text messages proved he organised and tracked deliveries across South Yorkshire.
The court also heard Hughes has reportedly applied himself in prison, rising from a cleaner to lead roles in the cafeteria, acquiring certificates, becoming his wing’s anti-violence representative and mentoring prisoners.
Oliver Hughes was sentenced to six years and eight months in prison, while Suqlain Hussain was handed five years and four months.
Graham McIlhagga received a harsher sentence due to the firearms found at his house, and was jailed for eight years.
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