The ‘Ace’ line, a deadly drug operation notorious in Birmingham, gained grim attention after a customer was murdered in its name. This network, trafficking cocaine and heroin across the city, was thrust into the spotlight when two of its suppliers, Mohammed Rahman and Hamza Khan, were convicted of murder for the fatal attack on Craig Dean outside his home in Kings Heath on July 7 last year.
During the trial at Birmingham Crown Court, the jury heard that Rahman and Khan may have targeted Dean because he was reportedly sending drug users to rival dealers. Their conviction underscored the violent and ruthless nature of the ‘Ace’ line’s operations.
The ‘Ace’ line is one of numerous so-called ‘County lines’ drug dealing networks operating in Birmingham. These operations typically involve young men or even children managing a specific mobile phone line to send bulk messages advertising drugs and arrange individual deals. While some county lines transport drugs from major cities to smaller towns, many, like the ‘Ace’ line, also function within city limits.
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Previous reports from Birmingham Live have documented multiple arrests linked to dealers using the ‘Ace’ line identifier, although connections between these individuals and the operation involved in Dean’s murder remain unclear. In 2022, people from south Birmingham areas Rubery and Rednal were caught with large quantities of crack cocaine and heroin in Redditch, Worcestershire. That same year, another accused ‘Ace’ line dealer was intercepted in Stourbridge, Dudley. More recently, in early 2024, two brothers were imprisoned for running the Ace line in east Birmingham between May and October 2023.
At the murder trial, Mohammed Rahman, 25, admitted to working for the Ace line for about six months before the fatal attack. He revealed that the operation was run by someone “above” him and that the line serviced areas including Kings Heath, Moseley, and Balsall Heath. Rahman described his role as controlling the phone—sending texts, answering calls, and directing drivers to meeting points for drug exchanges. He confirmed his responsibilities were on par with co-defendant Hamza Khan, 23, who operated as the driver. Rahman further disclosed that he earned between £200 and £250 daily for up to six hours of work.
Text message evidence presented at the trial revealed a heated dispute between Mr. Dean, 53—also known as ‘Yankee’—and Rahman on the day of the attack. Dean, a customer of the Ace line and a provider of other users, lived on Springfield Road, Moseley. At approximately 4:50 pm on July 7, Rahman and Khan arrived at Dean’s residence and violently assaulted him. Multiple witnesses testified that the two men repeatedly kicked Dean in the head as he lay on the ground before fleeing.
Khan admitted that despite the brutal assault, they continued supplying drugs for about an hour afterward. Dean, a father, succumbed to his injuries in hospital two days later.
Sentencing for Rahman, from Hall Green, and Khan, from Moseley, is scheduled for later this month, highlighting the deadly risks and harsh realities of the Ace line’s drug empire in Birmingham.