Leeds man jailed for 14 years for running drugs between Birmingham and Yorkshire during Covid-19
53 year old Yakub Miah was caught after 2 kilos of the drug was found hidden in a taxi.
Last updated 18th Sep 2026
A man involved in a plot to transport heroin between Birmingham and Leeds during the Covid-19 lockdown has been jailed for 14 years.
53 year old Yakub Miah, of Newton Park Court in Leeds, first came to the attention of authorities after detectives saw a drugs exchange in Allerton Park involving a taxi.
2kg of heroin was later found stahed in the vehicle.
Cocaine, crack cocaine and heroin were all found when officers raided Miah's home in May 2021.
Miah breifly fled to Ireland where he was arrested in January and extradited back to the UK.
He was later convicted of conspiracy to supply 20kg of heroin, conspiracy to supply 2kg of heroin and possession with intent to supply cocaine, crack cocaine.
36 year old Ali Hussain, of Sunrise Court in Bradford, was jailed for over seven years in November for involvement in the same case.
The search for another man, 45 year old Shafiqul Islam Ali, is ongoing after he was sentenced to 14 years in his absence.
Detective Inspector Chris Rukin, who led the investigation for West Yorkshire Police, said:
“Yakub Miah was a key player in this very significant criminal enterprise that saw a huge amount of heroin brought to Leeds from Birmingham for onward supply during the country’s first Covid lockdown.
“He tried to cheat justice by fleeing abroad but the tenacity of the investigation team and support from our colleagues in Ireland saw him detained and brought back to the UK to face justice.
“We know only too well how the supply of Class A drugs fuels crime and serious violence in our communities and brings misery to the lives of individual users and their families, and those who involve themselves in this harmful and exploitative trade should expect to face the consequences.
“We are determined to see that everyone who was involved answers for their actions, and we continue to appeal for anyone who has any information that could assist us in locating Shafiqul Islam Ali who remains wanted after being sentenced in his absence.”