A GANG of drug dealers caught flooding the streets with heroin and crack cocaine have been jailed for a combined total of 62 years.

Preston Crown Court heard the 'well-run business' involved a network of dealers who helped supply Class A drugs throughout Blackburn.

The prosecution said the gang ran a mobile phone service known as the '666 sharky line' and charged £20 for cocaine and £10 for heroin between 9am and 9pm daily.

Yesterday nine members of the gang, exposed by an undercover police operation, were jailed for conspiracy to supply class A drugs.

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The gang kingpin, 45-year-old Manier Hussain, from Liverpool, who was also known as Kabbir, was jailed for 16 years.

He was described as being at the 'very top' of the organisation, the court heard.

Hussain appeared in his dock alongside his henchman Nazam Ali, 42, of Hareclough Close, Blackburn, Maqshud Mohammed, 42, of Ash Street, Blackburn and James Donohue, 26, from Liverpool.

Together the four men were said to have flooded the streets of Audley Range and the wider Blackburn area with thousands of pounds of drugs.

Ali was sentenced to 10 years behind bars after pleading guilty.

The court heard he was 'highly involved in the network' and was involved in the storage of the drugs.

Mohammed was also said to have had a 'very significant' role in the gang and was sentenced to eight years behind bars.

Donohue, who was arrested in possession of half a kilogram of cocaine, was also jailed for eight years.

Judge Andrew Woolman said: "Donohue was aware of the scale of the operation but he was not in control."

Prosecutor Robert Golinski said the five other men jailed for their part in the conspiracy were 'the most prolific of street dealers'.

The men, who acted as the gang's foot soldiers, faced drug problems of their own, the court heard.

Mohammed Shakil Patel, 32, from Blackburn, who had two previous convictions for the supply of Class A drugs, was jailed for five years and seven months.

Hassan Rahman, from Logwood Street, Blackburn was sentenced to five years in prison for his role.

Defending the 26-year-old, Jonathan Turner, said his client had 'not made any profit' and was using his role to 'pay back debts'.

Omar Qasam, 37, of Bethesda Close, Blackburn was also jailed for four years.

The court heard he to was working to pay off his drug debts.

Mohammed Ismail, 27, of Shear Brow, Blackburn, who was jailed for three years, was described as a 'victim'.

His defence lawyer, Andrew Atley, said: "It is very rare anyone with a very good upbringing would end up in this type of lifestyle.

"He was a chaotic drug user who was very seriously addicted to crack cocaine.

"He became a victim."

Rizwan Khalid, 27, from Boland Street, Blackburn, also received three years in prison for conspiracy to supply both heroin and crack cocaine.

Judge Woolman said: "The reason they are all in the dock is because they are all addicts themselves."

The court heard the undercover police investigation, code named Operation Jasper, ran between March 2015 and October 2016.

DS Andrew Osbaldeston, who led the investigation, said: "This was a long running and well established, sophisticated Class A drug supply network.

"The sentences that the higher echelons received demonstrates the significance of the offences.

"It took place all around Blackburn, but predominantly in Audley Range, and there was an increase in crime because of the Class A drugs in the area.

"We will continue to work within the community to keep our streets clean."

More members of the gang are set to be sentenced in the coming days.