Three men have been jailed for their involvement in a county lines drug operation in Grimsby, following a thorough investigation by Humberside Police.
In January 2020, officers responded to reports of a property being taken over by a gang from West Yorkshire, a situation known as “cuckooing.” The investigation led to the arrest of two individuals and the seizure of a quantity of heroin and crack cocaine.
Hazrat Shah, 37, from Bradford, Andrew Fox, 39, from Garforth near Leeds, and Jason Gladding, 34, from Grimsby, were sentenced at Hull Crown Court on April 16 for conspiracy to supply Class A drugs.
Shah and Fox were both jailed for nine years after being found guilty following a week-long trial. Gladding, described by police as the group’s local contact, pleaded guilty and was sentenced to three years in prison.
Detective Inspector Tom Kelly praised the disruption of the major county lines drug dealing gang. He highlighted the extensive work that went into the case, including analyzing large amounts of mobile phone data and carrying out tactical operations to build a strong prosecution.
Kelly also condemned the actions of the defendants, saying, “Shah, Fox, and Gladding have no regard for the lives of those they were using to run their drugs line, as well as the drug users purchasing the substances they bring into our communities.”
