A West Midlands drug gang, responsible for distributing large quantities of heroin and cocaine across Birmingham and the Black Country, has been sentenced to a combined total of over 60 years in prison.
The group operated a drug line for more than two years, with members Quarnay Lee-Taylor, Bradley Whatmore, Zuhayb Abdi, Asa Mcintosh, Rees Macdonald, Waqas Hussain, Hakeem Ali, and Steven Bunce at its core.
The network used two mobile phones to send bulk advertising messages, which received thousands of orders for class A drugs. Wolverhampton Crown Court heard that approximately 18.5 kilograms of heroin and cocaine were distributed through this drug line.
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In addition to drug trafficking, Macdonald and Bunce were involved in the kidnapping of a drug addict who owed them money; the victim was abandoned naked in the street.
The operation was active seven days a week, with dealers working around 20 hours a day across three shifts to manage the drug distribution.
Undercover police officers conducted ‘test purchases’ which were instrumental in leading to the gang’s arrest and the subsequent prosecution.
The drugs were supplied in various locations including Smethwick, Sandwell, Wednesbury, Walsall, and Birmingham.
All eight defendants were sentenced at Wolverhampton Crown Court on Wednesday, 16 September, where they received lengthy custodial sentences.