Burnley drugs shooting investigation sees Manchester OCG jailed

Following a two-day sentencing hearing at Preston Crown Court, the eight men have been sentenced to terms ranging from 27 months to 19 and a half years.

A police investigation codenamed Operation Callaway found how the OCG, based in Manchester, were called upon for help after word got out a Burnley based OCG was about to infiltrate a cannabis factory in Salus Street, Burnley.

Besim Zeka, Elion Gllava, Ibrahim Beldie and Andon Bita travelled in convoy to the town on February 3, 2021, after the Burnley OCG was caught on CCTV intending to steal the illicit plants.

Prosecutor James Gelsthorpe described how while in the convoy the defendants were in communication with each other and spent up to 45 minutes patrolling the town looking for the rival gang.

Elion Gllava, Andon Bita, Besim Zeka and Ibrahim Beldie went to defend their cannabis factory in Burnley, pictured, armed with guns and other weapons (Image: Lancs Police)

It was when the Burnley Group returned to the scene at 12.30am the following day that violence broke out, with at least four gunshots fired, gang members chasing each other round the streets with baseball bats and machetes, and a number of cars crashing.

One member of the Burnley OCG suffered a head injury from a machete attack, while a fellow gang member was shot in the leg. Both have since been arrested as part of Operation Coolant.

Beldie, Gllava and Bita then fled the scene, leaving Zeka stranded. He then called Mazhar Shah to collect him, who then picked up Gulam Rauf and went back to Burnley and Zeka’s BMW was torched.

However police found his DNA in the wreckage, and evidence linking Gllava and another man, Andreas Zekaqis, to the cannabis farm was uncovered.

Police found this bullet hole in a door on the street (Image: Lancs Police)

In his home two kilograms of cannabis was found along with a large quantity of cash.

Working with Greater Manchester Police, Lancashire Police executed 18 simultaneous warrants on July 13, 2021, with suspects arrested, and Zeka caught a day later in a London hotel.

At Bita’s home, £14,000 in cash was also found, plus a wooden chair leg fashioned into a weapon and a phone with photos of cannabis and him posing with guns.

An eighth man, Murtaza Ahmed, had his home searched and he was found to have the tenancy agreement for the cannabis factory property in Salus Street, and messages on his phone linking him to drug dealing.

The aftermath of two OCGs going to war over a £200,000 cannabis factory in Burnley (Image: Lancs Police)

The men were convicted after a six-week trial in May and on Friday, November 11, were sentenced by Judge Philip Parry after a two-day sentencing hearing.

The conviction for the men were:

• Besim Zeka, 31, was jailed for 17 years for conspiracy to cause grievous bodily harm, conspiracy to possess a firearm with intent to endanger life, and conspiracy to supply cannabis.
• Elion Gllava, 26, of The Parklands, Stoneclough, jailed for 19 years six months for conspiracy to cause GBH, conspiracy to possess a firearm with intent to endanger life, and conspiracy to supply cannabis.
• Ibrahim Beldie, 32, of Hollins Road, Oldham, jailed for 17 years for conspiracy to cause GBH, conspiracy to possess a firearm with intent to endanger life, and conspiracy to supply cannabis.
• Andon Bita, of Ellen Wilkinson Crescent, Manchester, jailed for 17 years 10 months for conspiracy to cause GBH, conspiracy to possess a firearm with intent to endanger life,  conspiracy to supply cannabis, and conspiracy to possess criminal property.
• Murtaza Ahmed, 38, of Berry Street, Brierfield, jailed for four years six months for conspiracy to supply cannabis and conspiracy to possess criminal property.
• Andreas Zekaqis, 31, of Acacia Road, Oldham, jailed for four years six months for conspiracy to supply cannabis and conspiracy to possess criminal property.
• Mazhar Shah, 40, of Alms Hill Road, Manchester, jailed for three years for perverting the course of justice and assisting an offender.
• Gulam Rauf, 29, of Hartley Avenue, Prestwich, jailed for two years three months for perverting the course of justice.

Det Supt Nick Connaughton, of East Division, said: “The truly appalling violence that took place was completely unacceptable.

“People have their own views on cannabis and whether or not it should be legalised, which is their prerogative.

“However, this case highlights the sheer levels of violence associated with cannabis cultivation and the extreme lengths OCGs are prepared to go to in order to protect their commodity.

“It is more through luck than judgement that nobody was killed or an innocent bystander wasn’t seriously hurt.

“I am pleased with the sentences handed down to these individuals and I hope it sends out a clear message that this kind of violence, although rare, will not be tolerated on the streets of East Lancashire.

“If you do chose to engage in this behaviour then you should expect to be arrested, prosecuted and put behind bars for a significant period of time.

“I would like to praise all the officers involved in this investigation, both Lancashire Police and Greater Manchester Police, for their painstaking work, professionalism and dedication.

“From multiple scenes of destruction, they have managed to unravel the inner workings and identify the members of a dangerous OCG and secure some significant sentences.

“I would also like to thank our colleagues from the Crown Prosecution Service and our Counsel,  James Gelsthorpe and Richard Holland. ”