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Drugs gang jailed in Sheffield

The ringleader of a multi-million pound drugs and money laundering operation has been locked up for 24 years.

The remaining eight men have been handed sentences with a combined total of almost 26 years.

The mastermind of the drugs operation, Thenveer Hussain, 33, of Sheffield Road, Tinsley, pleaded guilty to nine counts of conspiracy to supply Class A drugs, money laundering and attempting to pervert the course of justice.

In 2013 officers from South Yorkshire’s Serious and Organised Crime Unit (SOCU) launched a covert investigation, dubbed ‘Operation Magical’, into a large scale drugs supply chain based in Sheffield.

“Operation Magical was undertaken to address the organised criminality of Thenveer Hussain and his criminal associates, who were responsible for the widespread supply and distribution of cocaine, crack cocaine and heroin to organised criminal gangs in London and throughout both South and West Yorkshire.

“We carried out raids across the two Yorkshire counties in March 2014 as part of the investigation, arresting Hussain as well as number of others, recovering 14kg of class A drugs, with an estimated street value of around one million pounds, and seizing £250,000 in cash.

“Nine people, seven men and two women, were sentenced in July 2015 to 80-years in prison for their involvement in Operation Magical, and in turn further criminal associates of Hussains were identified which resulted in two more investigations being launched: ‘Operation Mimic’ and ‘Operation Magical Two’.''

– Det Insp Paul Wilson, SOCU

‘Operation Magical Two’ concluded in December 2015 when a jury convicted Haroon Rashid, 36, of Ferrars Road Tinsley, Mohammed Qureshi, 26, of Pinar Road London and Syed Imran Sherazi, 36, of Dore Road, Sheffield, at Sheffield Crown Court for conspiring to pervert the course of justice and conspiracy to launder money gained through criminal activity, unrelated to Operation Magical.

All nine men have been sentenced at Sheffield Crown Court today and have received the following sentences:

· Thenveer Hussain – 24 years

· Haroon Rashid – eight years

· Richard Judson– four years

· Mohammed Qureshi – three years

· Syed Imran Sherazi – three years

· Tabriz Khan – three years

· Shamcher Hussain – three years

· Tommy Tyree – 18 months

· Rashid Ibrahim – Four and a half months