A gang involved in trafficking heroin and crack cocaine from north Manchester was apprehended after they filmed themselves preparing the drugs for sale. The Max drugs line aimed to inundate the streets of Accrington, Lancashire, with Class A substances sourced from Cheetham Hill.
Gang leader Hasnain Ashraf orchestrated the operation by dispatching drugs runner Lewis Lord to collect substantial amounts of drugs from his associates in Cheetham Hill, Lloyd Spencer and Sameer Amin, on multiple occasions between September 2022 and June 2023. Lord recorded incriminating videos of himself and fellow drug runners, Joseph Oakes and Aston Johnson, as they bagged the drugs for distribution. The trio also recruited Paul Moxham to sell the drugs on their behalf.
Once the heroin and crack cocaine were prepared, the gang sent bulk text messages advertising their illicit products. The operation was dismantled when police executed raids in Cheetham Hill, Accrington, and Blackburn on June 20 of last year. During the arrest of Ashraf at his home in Accrington, officers seized a mobile phone and watch.
Spencer was apprehended at his residence in Cheetham Hill, where police discovered scales and tubs with white residue. Amin was arrested at his home in Manchester while attempting to flush a significant quantity of heroin down the toilet; authorities recovered a mobile phone, cash, and scales from his location. Oakes was arrested in July 2023 after evading capture for more than a year.
As a result of the investigation, four gang members were sentenced to prison, while three others received suspended sentences.
- Hasnain Ashraf, 34, of Frederick Street, Accrington, was sentenced to ten years and four months for conspiring to supply heroin, crack cocaine, and cannabis.
- Lewis Lord, 23, of South Square, Blackpool, received eight years and nine months after pleading guilty to conspiracy charges related to heroin and crack cocaine.
- Lloyd Spencer, 41, of Hawkshead Road, Cheetham Hill, was sentenced to three years and nine months for conspiracy to supply heroin and crack cocaine.
- Joseph Oakes, 23, of no fixed address, received two years and eight months for his role in the operation.
- Sameer Amin, 31, of Hovey Close, Cheetham Hill, and Paul Moxham, 50, of Whalley Road, Altham West, both received two-year suspended sentences for their involvement in supplying heroin and crack cocaine.
- Aston Johnson, 20, of Brear Vale, Oswaldtwistle, also received a two-year suspended sentence after pleading guilty.
Detective Sergeant Stu Peall of Lancashire Constabulary’s East Exploitation Team stated, “These seven men played key roles in what they thought was a well-organised Class A drug supply operation. Through dedicated police work, we managed to unravel their trafficking operation and bring them to justice, including Joseph Oakes, who believed he would never be caught.”
Clive Grunshaw, Lancashire Police’s Police and Crime Commissioner, emphasized the importance of proactive enforcement, stating, “Results like this highlight the often unseen work being carried out around the clock, reassuring the public that we are tackling organized crime effectively.”
