Blackburn men involved in class A drug supply jailed

Riyaaz Yusuf, 36, Murad Khan, 37, Bilal Shah, 29, and Shaif Shakil, 20, all from Blackburn, appeared at Preston Crown Court to be sentenced on Friday, October 11.

They were alongside a fifth defendant, Jean Leatherd, 65, the mother of Murad Khan, who played taxi driver for her son, transporting him to deals due to her worries over his safety in his criminal enterprise.

Alex Bennie, prosecuting at Preston Crown Court, said between September 1, 2021 and August 2, 2022, the Rocket drugs line was used by the group offering cocaine, crack cocaine, heroin and cannabis to users around Blackburn.

Bilal Shah (Image: Lancashire Police)

The drugs were stored at a house in Briar Hill Close, where they were also weighed and divided into bags.

Members of the group were observed either dealing drugs or operating close to the storage house on four occasions by police.

The first was on October 19, 2021, in the Audley area of Blackburn when Shakil was spotted walking down a footpath towards the Leeds and Liverpool Canal with four other men.

Shakil was seen standing with the men and seemingly exchanging items before walking back the way he had come.

He was stopped by officers and found with a mobile phone containing numerous messages from the Rocket line, £70 in cash, and two wraps of drugs, one each containing crack cocaine and heroin.

On November 30, 2021, police were on patrol in the same area and saw Shah exit the building in Briar Hill Close and walk towards Chester Street.

He was arrested and found with cannabis, cocaine, £30 in cash and keys to the Briar Hill Close house.

Officers searched the house and found nearly £11,500 worth of cocaine, crack cocaine, heroin and cannabis.

Riyaaz Yusuf (Image: Lancashire Police)

On July 11, 2022, a grey Citroen vehicle was sighted in Higher Audley Street by police with Khan and Leatherd inside.

Four men were then seen approaching the vehicle and exchanging items with Khan.

Khan was detained and searched and an analysis of his mobile phone showed contact with the Rocket line.

Finally, on August 1, 2022, Yusuf was observed meeting with suspected drug users and was seen taking items from his trouser pocket and handing them over.

He was arrested and found with a mobile phone showing communications with the Rocket line directing him to where drugs needed to be taken.

Shah and Shakil provided no comment when they were interviewed following their arrests.

Khan and Leatherd provided full accounts, with Khan saying he was paying off debt and had been dealing for around four days, while Leatherd said she was driving her son around while he was dealing drugs as she was worried about him after he had been physically assaulted in a previous transaction.

Yusuf denied dealing drugs and involvement in the line.

Yusuf, of Eden Street, had six convictions for nine previous offences, including five years in prison in 2011 for conspiring to supply class A drugs.

Khan, of Rothesay Road, had 14 convictions for 38 offences, while Leatherd, of the same address, had two previous convictions.

Shah, of Edgware Road, and Shakil, of Royal Oak Avenue, were of previous good character.

Adam White, mitigating for Yusuf, said his client was a habitual user of drugs and his life had been “plagued by addiction”.

He also said he had managed to avoid further trouble since his arrest nearly two years ago.

Shaid Rashid, for Shakil, said his client had “gone off the rails” after a family tragedy at a young age which resulted in him turning to drugs, and he was dealing to pay off a debt.

Mark Stuart, for Khan, said his client’s offending was of lower significance.

Murad Khan (Image: Lancashire Police)

Rick Holland, for Shah, said his client began to take drugs following the breakdown of his marriage having never previously experimented with them.

He also said Shah’s involvement was confined to three months.

Paul Hodgkinson, for Leatherd, said his client “reluctantly agreed” to drive her son around for three days as she was worried about his safety.

Judge Michael Maher described the operation as a “substantial enterprise.”

He said: “Sadly these courts are all too familiar with how such organised crime groups operate.”

Yusuf was sentenced to five years and eight months in prison, Khan to three years, Shah to two years and 11 months, and Shakil to two years and eight months.

Leatherd was given a two-year sentence suspended for 18 months and ordered to complete 25 rehabilitation activity days.