'Brazen' drug dealer planned to distribute thousands of pounds worth of heroin and cocaine across Harborough

A ‘brazen’ drug dealer found to be in possession of £10,000 worth of heroin and cocaine which he planned to distribute in Market Harborough has been jailed.

Muhammed Miah, age 44 of Barnard Close in Leicester, has been jailed for ten years for his part in a ‘high value drugs conspiracy’.

Miah was being supplied Class A drugs which he then used his brother, Turon Miah (age 47, of Allenwood Road, Leicester) to collect and deliver across Harborough. His brother was sentenced to six years and nine months in prison.

The drugs ring was uncovered by East Midlands Special Operations Unit which began investigating in 2022.

It was headed by Oadby-based Steffan Simon who had previously received a ten-year sentence for conspiracy to supply Class A drugs.

Less than a year after his release he was employed as a parcel courier but Simon was using his work clothing and vehicles to provide cover for the fact that as he was legally working he was continuing to supply large amounts of Class A drugs across Leicestershire.

Simon was working alongside Julian Jeffers - also a convicted Class A drug supplier - to assist him in the storage and transportation of cocaine and heroin that was being supplied onwards to Clyde Wallace in Leicester and Muhammad Miah in Market Harborough.

Muhammad Miah was using his brother, Turon Miah, to collect and deliver Class A drugs on his behalf. Both Wallace and Muhammad Miah both had previous convictions for the supply of Class A drugs.

In August 2022, detectives stopped Turon and found a bag containing a kilogram of heroin and a kilogram of a paracetamol and caffeine mix hidden under the passenger seat. Around £2,000 in cash was also found inside the vehicle.

The arrest of Turon Miah was the start of evidence gathering to show the contact between the other individuals involved.

After his arrest, contact ceased between Simon and the Miah brothers, and Muhammed Miah began sourcing drugs through a different supplier, Imraan Mullaji.

A warrant was executed at Jeffers’s home address where cocaine and heroin intended for onward supply were recovered along with weighing scales with cocaine and heroin residue on them. Mobile phones were also found inside the address, one of which belonged to Simon and contained the contact numbers for Muhammad Miah and Wallace.

A drug exchange later took place between Muhammad Miah and Mullaji, and Miah was detained as he returned to his business in Market Harborough. He was found to be in possession of almost £10,000 worth of heroin and cocaine which was later forensically linked to Mullaji.

A subsequent search of the business premises found heroin, cocaine and a cutting agent and a tick list of drugs debts owed to Miah as well as £16,690 in cash, believed to be profits from drug supply.

Simon was later subject to a drugs search, which saw him throw 11g of cocaine onto the ground. A search at an address owned by an associate of Simon found loose area of tiles with over half a kilogram of cocaine hidden behind, valued at more than £55,000.

Between May and June last year, all of the men, along with a seventh suspect, were re-arrested, interviewed and subsequently charged.

In November 2023 Simon, Jeffers, Muhammad Miah, Turon Miah and Wallace stood trial at Leicester Crown Court for conspiracy to supply Class A drugs.

Steffan Simon, Julian Jeffers and Muhammad Miah were each convicted of two counts of conspiracy to supply Class A drugs. Muhammad Miah was also convicted of one count of possession of criminal property. Turon Miah was convicted of one count of conspiracy to supply Class A drugs.

Det Sgt Chris Sewell, who was the Senior Investigating Officer, said: “Simon clearly felt he was untouchable and thought his plan to distribute the drugs under the disguise of being a legitimate courier was flawless.

“However, following a lengthy and complex investigation, which demonstrated some determined detective work using some excellent investigative tools, we were able to clearly evidence that despite being released from prison, little than a year before, Simon was back to supplying Class A drugs once again.

“With the exception of Mullaji, these men may have operated under Simon’s instructions but are just as guilty having knowingly participated in their varying roles. Many of them have previous convictions for drugs supply and obviously seemed content on continuing to peddle misery across those communities which are so badly affected by drug offences.

“Muhammed Miah was brazen enough that although he was suspicious enough to cancel his contact with Simon, he commenced his drug supply from Mullaji and even left large quantities of the purchases drugs stashed at his business premises.

“This shows the lengths these men would not stop to continue committing these offences and I am pleased that we were able to develop and present an extremely difficult case to dismantle this network with excellent results.

“We will not tolerate drugs on our streets, and we will continue to act on information received and to bring those responsible for drug offending before the courts. If you have any information about drug offending in your community, please do report it to us so that we can take the action needed.”

Proceeds of Crime Act confiscation or forfeiture proceedings will now commence against those convicted to strip assets believed to have been acquired due to their involvement in drug supply.