Peaky Blunders: Birmingham gang jailed for smuggling drugs in chicken

Central
Thursday 28 November 2019 at 5:55pm

The two ringleaders of a Birmingham-based organised crime group who smuggled drugs into the UK in chicken shipments have been jailed following an investigation from the National Crime Agency.

Wasim Hussain and Nazrat Hussain (unrelated) set up a series of front companies which were involved in the importation of chicken from the Netherlands.

On several occasions class A drugs including heroin and cocaine worth around £5 million was seized hidden in the chicken shipments. The NCA subsequently identified another 16 importations suspected to also contain drugs.

The importations began in June 2016 and continued into 2017. Following each of the first two seizures the crime group set up a new company to try and cover their tracks, using a new company name to carry on.

They would use genuine shipping companies to move loads from Rotterdam in the Netherlands to distribution hubs where the chicken would be collected by members of the group.

The group smuggled millions of pounds worth of drugs in chicken. Credit: National Crime Agency

“Throughout the course of this investigation, which has gone on for more than three years, we have systematically dismantled an organised crime group that was involved in the importation and distribution of class A drugs across the West Midlands. “As well as drugs, the gang also attempted to source firearms, presumably to be used to threaten others in support of their criminality. “The investigation has uncovered links to criminal networks in London and the Netherlands, and our partnership with the Dutch police was crucial. “We worked our way through the group until we managed to reach the two men at the very top - Wasim Hussain and Nazrat Hussain. “As we have shown in this case, the NCA will use the full range of its capabilities to comprehensively target and disrupt those involved in organised criminal activity. “In total more than 98 years of jail sentences have been handed out, and with these men behind bars communities in the West Midlands and beyond are safer.”

Following the interception of two chicken shipments, and the arrests of two gang members involved, the gang switched tactics. This time they used two corrupt baggage handlers to collect three kilos of high-purity cocaine off a flight from Brazil to Heathrow.

After a while the Hussains moved back to their original chicken method, and recruited Mohammed Shabir- a worker at a Birmingham-based meat supplier- to help.

In June 2017 another shipment was dispatched from the Netherlands, but when it arrived in Birmingham minus the drugs the group knew they had been caught. Wasim Hussain rang his main Dutch criminal contact in panic, telling him “throw your phone, throw everything, throw the SIM away.”

Millions of pounds worth of drugs were smuggled into the UK from the Netherlands. Credit: National Crime Agency

Wasim Hussain and Mohammed Shabir were arrested by NCA officers shortly afterwards. Nazrat Hussain was in the Netherlands at the time, but he was arrested by Dutch police and extradited back to the UK.

Nazrat Hussain would later plead guilty to three counts of conspiring to import class A drugs. Brothers Manjinder Singh Thakhar and Davinder Singh Thakhar, along with Mohammed Shabir also all pleaded guilty to participating in the activities of an organised crime group.

Following a five week trial at Birmingham Crown Court Wasim Hussain was found guilty of conspiring to import a class A drug.

Today (November 28) at Birmingham Crown Court Nazrat Hussain was sentenced to 29-and-a-half years in prison, while Wasim Hussain got 14 years and four months.

Mohammed Shabir , Manjinder Singh Thakhar and Davinder Singh Thakhar will also be sentenced on 23 January 2020.