Sheffield drug and guns gang jailed for total of 115 years after huge sting

A drug and gun gang based in Sheffield which spread across Yorkshire has been taken down and its members jailed for 115 years after a huge operation.
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The massive countywide sting has seen more than 75 kg of drugs taken off the streets of Sheffield, firearms including sub-machine guns seized by police and 15 men jailed for their part in the network.

The operation, led by the Yorkshire and the Humber Regional Organised Crime Unit, working in partnership with South Yorkshire Police and the National Crime Agency, was one of the largest in the ROCU’s history.

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The specialist unit also recovered ammunition, £250,000 in cash and 50,000 MDMA tablets after a number of swoops.

Five of the gang who have been jailed - centre is Mohammed Arsalan Hussain, while clockwise from top left are Aqeeb Hussain, Shazad Hassan,  Mohammed Noor and  Sajid Fiaz.Five of the gang who have been jailed - centre is Mohammed Arsalan Hussain, while clockwise from top left are Aqeeb Hussain, Shazad Hassan,  Mohammed Noor and  Sajid Fiaz.
Five of the gang who have been jailed - centre is Mohammed Arsalan Hussain, while clockwise from top left are Aqeeb Hussain, Shazad Hassan, Mohammed Noor and Sajid Fiaz.

Officers joined forces and spent more than two years tracking down and arresting members of the gang and bringing them to justice following a string of complex investigations, arrests and trials at courts across the region.

Detective Chief Inspector Andy Howard from the Regional Organised Crime Unit was the senior investigating officer for the case and said: “This operation is a major victory in the fight against serious and organised crime in Yorkshire and beyond."

“Officers seized 20 guns – guns that cannot now be used to cause violence in the communities we serve."

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“A huge amount of illegal drugs were also recovered including 9kg of high purity cocaine and crack cocaine and 70kg of class B drugs, including over 6kg of skunk cannabis."

“Illegal drugs cause untold misery in communities and I am delighted we have taken such a large amount out of circulation."

“I would like to take this opportunity to praise the officers from the ROCU, South Yorkshire Police and the NCA for their painstaking partnership work in bringing these criminals to justice and making the streets of Yorkshire safer."

“A lot of the work to bring these criminals to justice was carried out behind the scenes – so whilst people may not have known our officers were carrying out this vital work – they were.”

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DC Dave Clarkson, the Officer in Charge of the Case from the ROCU added:

“This investigation has disrupted an organised crime group that has over the years blighted communities in Sheffield and other areas of the UK. Supplying firearms, ammunition and drugs of all categories has serious negative impacts on communities and public services, ruining lives through drug use and violence that inherently is associated with organised crime. The sentences today I hope will send a message to people who are involved in or are considering becoming involved in the supply of drugs and firearms. Law Enforcement agencies will not stop the hunt for people involved in this criminality and bringing offenders before the courts.”

Nikki Holland, Director of Investigations at the NCA, said: “We’re proud to have supported our law enforcement colleagues on the ground in delivering a significant result against serious and organised crime across Yorkshire."

“All too often, firearms and drugs go hand in hand. They are used by organised crime groups to coerce, intimidate and commit serious violence. Suppressing their availability is a priority for the NCA.

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“We are committed to working with partners at a local and regional level to deliver a whole system approach in tackling serious and organised crime.”

Although a regional operation, much of the work centred on a number of addresses in Sheffield .

The operation began nearly two years ago in February 2019 when officers started investigating Mohammed Arsalan Hussain.

Sheffield Crown Court later heard how he was the head of a criminal network involved in the large-scale supply of illegal drugs, guns, ammunition and the movement of cash. The network extended across all of the Yorkshire and Humber region and into the West Midlands.

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DCI Howard added: “This was an investigation on a massive scale which saw three law enforcement agencies - the Regional Organised Crime Unit, National Crime Agency and South Yorkshire Police work together to bring Mohammed Arsalan Hussain and his criminal empire crashing down.

The 15 strong gang have now all been sentenced as follows after a number of trials at courts across the country.

Mohammed Arsalan Hussain, 30, of West View Lane, Sheffield, was sentenced to a total of 27 and half years, Mohammed Noor, 35, of Abbeydale Road was sentenced to 10 and a half years, Aqeeb Hussain, 25, of Napier Street was sentenced to 7 and a half years, Shazad Hassan, 23, of Holmhirst Way, Sheffield, was sentenced to 15 months, Sajid Fiaz, 35, of Midhill Road, Sheffield, was sentenced to seven years, Derice Cohen, 19, of Birch House Avenue, Oughtibridge was sentenced to four years, Leon Waite, 22, of Denholme Close, Sheffield was sentenced to six years, Rodney Bruce, 20, of Otley Walk, Sheffield, was sentenced to six years, Ethan Hallowes, 20, of Stannington Road, Sheffield, was sentenced to three years imprisonment, Nashad Khan, 21, of Cromford Street, Sheffield, received six years in prison, Darryl Wilson, 51, of Oaks Fold Avenue, Sheffield was sentenced to four and a half years, Hamza Mohammed, 20, of Staniforth Road, Sheffield, was sentenced to 5 years in prison, Derrick Woods, 41, of Blakeridge Lane, Batley, West Yorkshire was sentenced to 14 years, Jack Stretton, 23, of Manor Farm Drive, Leeds received a 14 year prison sentence, Luke Padley, 29, of No Fixed Abode received four and a half years in prison.

Anyone with information about drugs gangs in Sheffield can contact South Yorkshire Police on 101.