Men who 'flooded' streets with Class A drugs jailed

Two men involved in "flooding" the streets of Sheffield with £400,000 worth of crack cocaine and heroin have been jailed.

Ahmed Ahmed, who played a "managerial role", and Kardo Ali, a dealer, were arrested in December after police tracked phone numbers to three separate drug lines operating in the Upperthorpe area over a 10-month period, a court heard.

Ahmed, 26, of Handsworth Road in Sheffield, pleaded guilty to supplying drugs and using criminal property and was sentenced to seven years and seven months in prison at Sheffield Crown Court on 11 September.

Ali, 28, of Utting Avenue East in Liverpool, admitted supplying drugs and was sentenced to two years and eight months at the same hearing.

South Yorkshire Police launched an investigation into the "Frank", "Mario" and "Arab" drugs lines last year and after extensive telecommunications analysis, tracked Ahmed's number.

After searching his home, the force found a "trove of drugs, cash and paraphernalia linked to drug-based criminality", and Ali was then arrested.

Digital forensic analysis of devices seized from both defendants revealed thousands of bulk marketing messages, as well as stock lists for packages of cocaine and heroin.

Det Con Kevin Sibley, the officer in charge of the case, said: "The evidence unearthed in this investigation clearly showed the scale of Ahmed and Ali's offending.

"The pair helped flood Sheffield with vast quantities of drugs, wreaking havoc on our local communities.

"We know that drugs perpetuates the commission of other crimes and often feeds into organised crime groups, making it a priority to ensure those involved in drugs lines are swiftly caught and brought to justice."

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