Five men jailed over Birmingham County Lines drugs operation
More than £730,000 worth of drugs were sold across the city
Five men have been jailed after admitting their involvement in a major County Lines drugs operation which sold heroin and crack cocaine across Birmingham.
The group were linked to the Silver or Silva drugs line, which according to West Midlands Police made more than 95,000 calls to buyers and sold drugs worth more than £730,000 across the city.
Akbar Tareq, Ihsan Mahmood, Muzammel Rehman, Adil Shah and Shirajul Miah all admitted being involved in transporting and selling Class A drugs.
Investigation into the drugs line
West Midlands Police said its County Lines Taskforce began investigating the operation after identifying the Silver or Silva drugs line as supplying heroin and crack cocaine to hundreds of buyers.
In March 2024, officers carried out a firearms warrant at an apartment in Birmingham city centre where Rehman and another person were found inside.
Police said searches uncovered large amounts of crack cocaine packaged into £10 deals, along with bags and wraps of heroin across the apartment.
In May 2024, officers stopped a car in Shirley and found Miah in the driver’s seat along with another quantity of heroin.
The remaining men were arrested throughout 2024 as detectives built the case against them.
Police said the drugs line was promoted through mass messages sent to hundreds of phone numbers.
According to investigators, Tareq and Shah played significant roles in organising and managing the operation, while Rehman and Mahmood managed the line at a lower level.
Miah was said to have mainly worked as a driver to transport drugs and dealers.
Sentences handed to the five men
The men were sentenced as follows:
Adil Ali Shah, 27, of Kingscliff Road, Birmingham, was jailed for seven years and nine months.
Akbar Tareq, 28, of Churchill Road, Birmingham, was jailed for eight years and 11 months.
Ihsan Mahmood, 23, of Kenelm Road, Birmingham, was jailed for six years and nine months.
Muzammel Rehman, 25, of Gough Road, Birmingham, was jailed for seven years.
Shirajul Miah, 52, of Alexander Way, Birmingham, was jailed for two years and eight months.
West Midlands Police said its County Lines Taskforce continues to investigate drug networks operating across the region and urged people to learn the signs of young and vulnerable people being exploited by gangs.