Five men jailed over drugs line conspiracy worth more than a million pounds

Five people have been jailed for more than 35 years after we shut down a drugs line which had been active for more than four years.

Ikram Hussain, Jack Clark, Amar Khan and brothers Adil and Gohar Muhammed, were jailed following an investigation into the ‘Foxy’ line which supplied cocaine across Birmingham and Solihull.

 

The investigation was launched into the ‘Foxy’ line following the arrest of Clark in 2023 as part of another drugs investigation.

A phone seized from Clark was analysed and a WhatsApp chat group called ‘Foxy’ was discovered. The group had more than 2,000 people in it and was used to advertise drugs, the cars delivering them and the pick-up locations.

Analysis of phone data revealed regular contact between Clark, Hussain, Khan, Adil and Gohar and their involvement in the ‘Foxy’ line.

As part of the investigation, detectives carried out CCTV enquiries which pieced together the group’s movements leading them to a ‘safe house’ that they would use in the Jewellery Quarter.

This was one of many ‘safe houses’ around Birmingham that were used to store and sort drugs.

On 19 June 2024 a warrant was carried out at the apartment. Adil Muhammed was arrested from the apartment and later charged with possession with intent to supply.

A large amount of cocaine was recovered, along with two mobile phones, cash and a handwritten ledger with names and values containing a debt list.

In the carpark, Adil Muhammed’s brown Honda Jazz was found, the same car that often appeared on messages telling people to collect drugs from. Inside officers found a card reading machine.

One of the phones recovered from the safehouse was identified as the handset being used to host the ‘Foxy’ line. Following Adil’s arrest, the rest of the group had the ‘Foxy’ line ported to another sim card so that business could resume.

As our investigation intensified, Amir Khan was arrested following a pursuit in his car with traffic officers and the County Lines team. Cash, a knife and two phones were recovered.

Clark was arrested after officers intercepted his taxi journey from one of the safe houses. An iPhone was found and revealed to be the phone that was now hosting the ‘Foxy’ line.

Warrants were also carried out at the addresses of Adil and Gohar Muhammed where more phones were recovered.

Data collected from all of the phones seized further incriminated the group. Images promoting drugs for sale were found on the devices and GPS data from the photos revealed when and where the photos were taken.

Last Friday (7 Nov) all five men pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply Class A drugs and received the following prison sentences at Birmingham Crown Court:

Ikram Hussain, aged 29, of Bordesley Green, Birmingham - Sentenced to 12 years.

Adil Islam Muhammed, aged 20, of Forth Avenue, Birmingham - Sentenced to five years and seven months.

Gohar Muhammed, aged 29, also of Forth Avenue, Birmingham - Sentenced to six years and nine months.

Amar Khan, aged 23, of Washwood Heath Road, Birmingham - Sentenced to nine years and six months.

Jack Clark, aged 25, of Kington Gardens, Solihull, - Sentenced to six years, which included a sentence for the separate drugs investigation.

Det Sgt Gavin McGrath, from the County Lines Taskforce, said: “This group supplied drugs to thousands of people around Birmingham and Solihull and the value of drugs was estimated to have been worth around one million pounds.

“Following the arrest of Clark in relation to another drugs investigation, we were able to build a picture of this group, their movements, and their connections to one another.

“Some of the evidence we recovered was from the group incriminating themselves through video and photos, which was really helpful to our investigation.

“We welcome these sentences and hope it is a deterrent to those even thinking about getting involved in anything to do with drugs supply. We will find you and we will take action and get justice for our communities.

“We know County Line networks cause misery within our communities as drugs not only ruin lives but also fuel other crime. We’re working day in, day out, to bring down drug lines.”

We’re running Operation Target as part of our work to take drugs off the streets and tackle organised crime. Find out more here: Operation Target | West Midlands Police