Men jailed for more than 10 years over Pablo line conspiracy

Amir Shah, Pavel Kantor and Shaun Dowd appeared at Burnley Crown Court to be sentenced for their involvement with the Pablo drugs line which was instrumental in supplying crack cocaine and heroin to users in Pendle between August 2021 and February 2022.

Two other defendants, Adam Mullarky and Benjamin Lee, have already been jailed for their part in the conspiracy.

Amir Shah (Image: Lancs Police)

Burnley Crown Court heard how Shah, 26, had been involved with and was running the Pablo line under the pseudonym ‘Johnny Khan’, between August 2021 and February 2022, but there were others above him in the chain who were providing him with orders, although he declined to tell the police who they were.

Peter Barr, prosecuting, said Shah played a leading role and had become involved due to a substantial debt he had accrued, of around £30,000, which was made up of a cocaine debt and money he owed in relation to an Audi car.

Mr Barr said: “He was engaged in this conspiracy to pay off that debt and his family was threatened with violence.

“He was the middle man between the street dealers and those higher up than him.

Pavel Kantor (Image: Lancs Police)

“He did not take calls from customers but organised and directed street dealers, with expectation of financial gain.

“Some of the money he made was put into the account of his girlfriend, around £17,000, and cash amounts were recovered from his address of around £2,000.”

Mr Barr told the court Kantor, 22, had been involved between November 2021 until his arrest in February 2022.

When police attended his address on February 17, they found 33 wraps of heroin, weighing 19g, and 54 wraps of cocaine weighing 10g.

The court heard there was also an additional 6.7g of cocaine, of 90 per cent purity, and a phone recovered from had messages from a ‘Johnny Khan’.

Mr Barr said Kantor had not become involved with the conspiracy due to a drugs debt, but mainly so he could pay his bills and take care of his family, although he was a habitual cannabis smoker.

Shaun Dowd (Image: Lancs Police)

In respect of Dowd, 38, who was also a drug addict, Mr Barr said he was recruited to the Pablo line to “fill a void”, after Mullarky and Lee had been arrested in November 2021, and was only operational in his role for two weeks between November 4 and November 18.

He dealt drugs from a Volkswagen Passat in order to pay off his drugs debt, and was caught by police with eight wraps of cocaine and three wraps of heroin.

Shah, of Blackburn Road, Great Harwood, pleaded guilty to six counts of conspiring to supply class A drugs.

Kantor, of Windsor Street, Colne, pleaded guilty to two counts of conspiring to supply class A drugs.

Dowd, of Hollins Court, Harper Street, Barnoldswick, pleaded guilty to two counts of conspiring to supply class A drugs.

Mitigating for Shah, Daniel Harman said his client had clearly been pressured and intimidated by those above him into selling the drugs and was genuinely remorseful for his actions.

Bob Elias, for Kantor, said his client had been naïve and immature and had “involved himself for financial gain” coupled with the need to pay his bills, and was “sorry for his stupidity”.

For Dowd, Philip Holden said his client had been working with drug service, Inspire, and had only concerned himself with the conspiracy following threats due to a drugs debt.

Shah was jailed for six years, Kantor for two years and nine months, and Dowd for two years and six months.

A Proceeds of Crime Act hearing is scheduled for March 2024.