FIVE members of a gang who bought huge blocks of cocaine in Manchester and moved them around the UK during lockdown have been jailed for a total of 60 years.
Riasat Ali, 43, and Asad Zulfiqar, 38, were 'leading members' of the organised crime group (OCG) which bought kilos of cocaine, worth up to £40,000 per kilo, on a weekly basis.
As well as the stamped multi kilo blocks of cocaine, they also bought shipments of heroin and cannabis. They would then use the encrypted communication service EncroChat to organise their movements around the country.
Ali and Zulfiqar employed Urszula Kareme, 45, and paid her a wage and in exchange she collected and distributed extremely large quantities of drugs on their behalf, using her car to travel to postcodes they gave her, and using 'passwords' they shared.
Jake Burke, 33, would also organise the purchase of blocks of cocaine with Patrick Barry, 40, acting as his courier.
This story is from the December 22, 2023 edition of Manchester Evening News.
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This story is from the December 22, 2023 edition of Manchester Evening News.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
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