Three men have been jailed for running a county lines drug network in Stevenage.

Mukim Ahmed, Jibran Azam and Nadeem Younas were arrested between September and December 2022, following an investigation by the Operation Mantis team at Hertfordshire Constabulary.

They were charged with operating the ‘Mick and Ranger’ line which supplied crack cocaine and heroin in Stevenage and the surrounding areas.

All three men pleaded guilty to their offences at St Albans Crown Court on Friday, June 23. The details are as follows:

  • Mukim Ahmed, aged 41 and of no fixed address, was sentenced to six years and three months for conspiracy to supply class A drugs, and possession of a bladed article
  • Jibran Azam, aged 32 and of Sish Close in Stevenage, was sentenced to five years and seven months for conspiracy to supply class A drugs
  • Nadeem Younas, aged 45 and of no fixed address, was sentenced to two years and ten months for conspiracy to supply class A drugs

Detective Sergeant Chris Cowell, part of the Operation Mantis team, said: “The trio ran the ‘Mick and Ranger’ line, which supplied class A drugs to the Stevenage area.

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"The disruption of this line will make a significant impact on drug supply and associated crime in the town.

"It’s also another county line that has been shut down, sending a strong message to would-be drug dealers that they will be caught and jailed.

“In addition to spreading drugs and crime across communities, these gangs exploit vulnerable people, coercing people into providing bases for dealers to operate or to act as distributers themselves.

"They often use young people to handle drugs and money, drawing them deeper into gang affiliation that often leads to violence and abuse.

"If you know that a gang is operating in your neighbourhood your information can help us protect the young and vulnerable and get drugs off the streets of Hertfordshire.”

You can report drug dealing online at herts.police.uk/report, via online web chat at herts.police.uk/contact, or by calling 101.

Information can also be reported anonymously by contacting Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or via crimestoppers-uk.org.