A DRUG dealer lived a life of flash cars and expensive properties on money he made pedalling misery on the streets of East Lancashire.

Jemil Hussain, 33, headed up a drugs gang which ran a network of dealers selling class A drugs on the streets of Blackburn and Accrington.

MORE TOP STORIES:

Now the dealers have been sentenced to more than 25 years after four years of police covert operations to snare the drugs ring.

Drug kingpin Jemil Hussain has been jailed for 11 years and eight months with his left hand man Adeel Mehboob, 24, starting a seven year stretch behind bars.

Two runners, Arfan Ahmed, 26, and Bernard McEwan, 48, were jailed for two years and six months and three years and two months respectively, while Hussain’s ex-wife Mobeen Saddique, 34, was spared jail but handed a 19 month suspended sentence after the court heard she worked as a driver for the operation.

Despite the deals being small enough to swallow if they came to the attention of the police, Hussain’s enterprise funded a fleet of prestigious cars, including Audis, BMWs and Mercedes as well as a portfolio of property.

His home in Country Mews, Blackburn, is furnished with lavish decor and expensive TVs and furniture, Preston Crown Court heard.

But behind the high value exterior, Hussain was immersed in the desperate trade of class A drugs, supplying heroin and crack cocaine to addicts in Blackburn and Accrington.

Officers observed Hussain and his gang engaged in brief exchanges with known drug addicts as far back as 2011.

Geoff Whelan, prosecuting, said: “The defendants used a consistent system when supplying drugs.

“Customers contact the dealer phone, ‘Jojo’ and an arrangement is made to meet at a specified location. The defendants then drive to meet the customer and supply them.

“The defendants appear to be very cautious in how they operate in that they only carry a small quantity of drugs on their person on each occasion.

“Firstly the quantities are small enough that if challenged by the police they could swallow the evidence.

“Secondly, if they could not swallow the drugs they could deny an intention to supply.”

Hussain and his second-in-command Mehboob, of Queens Park Road, Blackburn, were found guilty to conspiracy to supply heroin and cocaine after a trial.

The court heard both men had been involved in the supply of drugs since 2011 and had tried to swallow drugs when they were challenged by police.

Hussain’s ex wife, Mobeen Saddique, 34, of Wilton Close, Blackburn, was convicted of being concerned in the supply of heroin and crack cocaine and runners Ahmed, of Ballater Road, Aboyne, and Mcewen, of Haslingden Road, Blackburn, were found guilty to being concerned in the supply of heroin and crack cocaine.

Officers from Lancashire Police’s Targeted Crime Team executed a warrant at Hussain’s home in Country Mews, Blackburn on May 12 last year.

They recovered a number of mobile phones linking Hussain to more than 30 known drug users.

Text messages revealed drug dealing activity and linked Hussain to his co-defendants, who were subsequently arrested.

Officers also recovered £450 cash and documents outlining Hussain’s property portfolio and investments.

Mr Whelan said: “This evidence demonstrates Hussain is benefitting financially from drug dealing. He has access to a large number of prestigious cars and ownership of a number of houses and other properties.”

Speaking after the sentence, DC James Williamson from the Targeted Crime Team, said: “I am satisfied with the sentences handed down which reflect the serious nature of the offences.

“Operation Selene has been a complex and protracted enquiry which has required a lot of hard work and dedication from the investigation team.

“The people in this organised crime group were working together to flood the streets of East Lancashire with heroin and crack cocaine. This type of crime not only ruins lives and instils fear in our neighbourhoods, but is a driving force for other crime.

“Now that this group has been taken off our streets we can firmly say they are a much safer place, and hope this goes in some way to providing reassurance to the community.

“I hope it acts as a warning to those who flout the law that their crime will not be tolerated in our communities.”