County lines gang who ferried drugs from Bradford to Hull sentenced

county lines drugs gang
The seven men were linked through messages exchanged on 'burner' phones. Credit: Humberside Police

Seven members of a county lines gang who used the code name "Freddy" to deal more than £1million of drugs have been sentenced.

Detectives carried out an investigation in 2021 and 2022 after a suspected organised criminal gang was found to be ferrying class A drugs from Bradford into the Humberside Police force area.

One of the suspected dealers, 29-year-old Safraz Zahir, was arrested.

While on bail he was stopped and searched while travelling as a passenger in a car on Boothferry Road in Goole in September 2021 and found to be carrying more than £1,400 worth of class A drugs.

Analysis of a "burner" phone established the existence of the "Freddy" line – a conspiracy to supply diamorphine and cocaine.

PC Claire Dobson, of Humberside Police, said: "Once established, the lines would be used to market the drugs on offer through bulk marketing messages. When the line became active, messages would then be sent to a contact list of drug users who would then respond and place their orders.

"Conversations showed various messages from Zahir’s associates telling him how the drugs were being stored."

Two accomplices – Justin Horniak, 21, and 25-year-old Mohammed Raja – were arrested in Bradford.

Following their arrest police found more burner phones, electronic scales, cash and a machete.

Another man, Tommy Tomassi, 22, of Queensgate Street, Hull, was also arrested and a gun was seized.

Examination of more mobile phones revealed the scale of the county lines network.

In March 2022, police found a property on Newland Grove in Hull was being used as a "stash house".

Seven men subsequently pleaded guilty to drugs offences:

  • Safraz Zahir, 29, of Parsonage Road, Bradford, was jailed for nine years and seven months.

  • Umair Shakeel, 25, of Ryan Street, Bradford, was jailed for eight years.

  • Justin Horniak, 21, of Halton Place, Bradford was sentenced to six years and 11 months.

  • Mohammed Raja, 25, Woodroyd Road, Bradford was jailed for two years and 10 months.

  • Tommy Tomassi, 22, of Queensgate Street, Hull, was given a two-year community order.

  • Asher Buckingham, 19, of Terry Street, Hull, was given a two-year rehabilitation order.

  • Harvey Fox, 19, of Queensgate Street, Hull, was given an 18-month prison sentence suspended for two-years.

PC Dobson added: "We have disrupted a major county lines drug dealing gang, jailing seven people involved in a significant conspiracy, and we will continue to proactively target those we believe to be involved in drugs."

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