Blackpool drug kingpin and gang jailed for 40 years plus after after flooding North West with £5m of drugs

A drug kingpin from Blackpool and his band of henchman have jailed for more than 40 years for the supply of millions of pounds of drugs to the streets of Lancashire and beyond.

Following an investigation by lancashire Police’s Serious and Organised Crime Unit the head of the gang, Blackpool’s - Zainul James – and his cronies are now behind bars.

The investigation, codename Operation Carbon, showed the gang had supplied cocaine and cannabis with a street value of almost £5m.

Zainul Aberdeen James was the kingpin and was responsible for the supply of Class A and B Drugs across the northwest.

He directed his trusted couriers to collect, store and distribute large amounts of Class A and B to drug users. He also coordinated the collection of thousands of pounds of cash payment of these drugs, to be paid to upstream suppliers and trusted money launderers.

James had close links with suppliers overseas, who exported drugs to the UK on behalf of the Organised Crime Group (OCG).

The gang were this week jailed after pleading guilty to conspiracy to supply drugs.

James, 36, of Coopers Way, Blackpool was jailed for 15 years.

Saqib Khan, 27, of Fairfield Road, Bradford, was jailed for 12 years.

Rio Wilson-Heyes, 28, of Lydiate Close, Bolton, was jailed for seven years and seven months.

John Tremlett, 33, of Coronation Street, Blackpool, was jailed for five years three months.

Connor Parkinson, 21, of Central Drive, Blackpool, was jailed for two years, suspended for 18 months. He was also ordered to do undergo rehabilitation and do unpaid work.

All the above had admitted conspiracy to supply Class A and Class B drugs.

Layton Hart, 18, of Hartland, Skelmersdale, was given a youth rehabilitation order.

Sharmaine Rolston, 34, of Monarch Avenue, Bamber Bridge and Mickala Blows, 38, of Broddick Close, Broughton, were given community orders and ordered to undergo rehabilitation.

They had pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Supply Class B drugs.

Det Insp Steve Montgomery, of the Serious and Organised Crime Unit, said: “We will not rest in our commitment to tackle those who deal in illegal drugs.

“We will dismantle these gangs and put those involved before the courts.”

Operation Warrior is our response to tackling serious and organised crime in Lancashire and delivering on Police and Crime Commissioner Clive Grunshaw's Fighting Crime Plan priority of disrupting and dismantling organised crime.