A man from Wilmslow and two from Warrington have today been sentenced to a total of 32 years for conspiracy to supply nearly one million pounds worth of heroin.
Tariq Khaliq, 44, of Park Road was sentenced to 16 years and Imran Malik, 39, of Warrington was sentenced to 10 years in prison both were found guilty on Thursday 30th October 2014 of Conspiracy to Supply Class A Controlled Drugs after an eight day trial at Chester Crown Court. A third man, Gameal Adawee, 44, also of Warrington, plead guilty to the offence prior to the trial and he was sentenced to 6 years in prison.
The three men were arrested between April 19th and May 6th 2014 as part of Operation Komodo, a pro-active investigation into the supply of Class A drugs carried out by Cheshire Constabulary′s Force Crime Operations Unit in partnership with West Midlands Police and the National Crime Agency.
During the operation 10kg of heroin was recovered by police after a vehicle, in which Adawee was travelling, and linked to Khaliq and Malik, was stopped by police on the M6 motorway heading into Cheshire.
Enquiries in Cheshire and London resulted in overwhelming evidence being obtained against the men and despite their desperate attempts to deny involvement the jury found them guilty and they are now remanded in custody awaiting sentencing.
Cheshire Constabulary Assistant Chief Constable Mark Roberts said: "This investigation focused upon stemming the supply of heroin into the North West and targeting drug dealers. These convictions show how we can have a significant impact on those who seek to profit from drugs supply which spreads misery and increases crime across our towns and cities.
"I would urge anyone in the community who knows individuals who are involved in the supply of drugs to pass on whatever information they have to the Police by calling 101. If they want to do this anonymously they can call Crimestoppers on 0800 555111 and we will act on it to make a difference in your community. This case illustrates how information from the community can put drug dealers in jail."
