Smethwick brothers jailed for running County Lines cocaine network from their home

Two brothers have been jailed for more than 18 years in total for running a County Lines cocaine network from their home in Smethwick supplying drugs to users in Stoke-on-Trent.

Mohammed Awais Khan and his brother Mohammed Luqman Khan took pictures of bundles of cash in their luxury cars while wearing designer watches.

They made their wealth through running a ‘D Drugs Line’ supplying cocaine to drug users in and around Stoke-On-Trent and Mohammed Awais, 27, referred to himself as ‘Snowman 24’ boasting he could supply cocaine 24 hours a day, according to West Midlands Police.

The drug dealing duo were supplying drugs all over Stoke-On-Trent and Newcastle Under Lyme, primarily in the city centre where the suspects would arrange to meet users outside shops and pubs but they would also drop to home addresses.

But detectives from The County Lines Taskforce caught wind of what they were doing and swooped.

Officers arrested Mohammed Awais Khan from his home address in St Pauls Road, Smethwick, on January 27 this year and recovered the drugs line phone next to the driving licence of 24-year-old Mohammed Luqman Khan. Officers then swooped and arrested the younger brother, also living in St Paul’s Road.

They were both taken into custody and charged with conspiring to supply Class A drugs.

They both pleaded guilty to the charges while appearing at Wolverhampton Crown Court where a complex investigation which utilised communications data evidence showed that the brothers had sent bulk messages to drugs users offering the supply of cocaine and how they ran the drugs line.

It was revealed how officers were able to obtain further evidence from the defendant’s mobile phones showing a drug dealing lists of how much money they were making and messages where Awais Khan was referring to himself as ‘Snowman 24 hour’ indicating that they would be able to supply cocaine 24 hours a day. Phones recovered during the investigation also showed images of large bundles of cash, expensive watches and high performance vehicles.

Both defendants pleaded guilty to their involvement and were sentenced at Wolverhampton Crown Court. Mohammed Awais Khan was jailed for 11 years and 6 months and Mohammed Luqman Khan for seven years and two months.

What has West Midlands Police said?

Detective Superintendent Syed Hussain, West Midlands Police lead for County Lines, said: “County Lines drug dealers like the Khan brothers ruin lives and our officers from the County Lines Taskforce worked hard to stop them and bring them to justice.

“County Lines gangs should know they are in our sights and our work goes on 24/7 throughout the year to stop them.

“Communities are left destroyed by County Lines and we are determined to stop people like the Khan brothers from profiting from the misery of others.”