A cocky gang who trafficked crack cocaine and heroin from Cheetham Hill filmed themselves flashing a Rolex and wads of cash before their drugs empire came crashing down.
The Max drugs line plotted to flood the streets of Accrington, in Lancashire, with Class A drugs that had been shipped in from Cheetham Hill.
Gang leader Hasnain Ashraf sent drugs runner Lewis Lord to collect huge amounts of drugs from his Cheetham Hill-based associates, Lloyd Spencer and Sameer Amin, on multiple occasions between September 2022 and June 2023.
Lord then recorded incriminating videos of himself and his fellow drug runners, Joseph Oakes and Aston Johnson, preparing the drugs to be sold. They boasted as they showed off huge wads of cash on tables and a Rolex watch and filmed one another preparing the drugs.
As the trio bagged up drugs, they then recruited Paul Moxham to sell them on their behalf. After the heroin and crack cocaine had been prepared, they sent bulk text messages advertising drugs for sale.
The operation was brought down when police swooped on addresses in Cheetham Hill, Accrington and Blackburn on June 20 of last year.
When Ashraf, 34, was arrested at his home in Accrington, officers seized a mobile phone and watch. They then found scales and tubs containing white residue when they arrested Spencer at his home in Cheetham Hill.
Amin was arrested at his home in Manchester and attempted to flush a large quantity of heroin down the toilet. A mobile phone, cash and scales were also recovered.
Johnson was arrested at his home with a mobile phone being seized, as well as scales and snap bags, as Moxham was arrested at his home in Altham West before a mobile phone was found that contained the Max Line phone number. Oakes was arrested in July of this year after spending more than a year on the run.
Four members of the gang are now behind bars. Three other men were spared jail by a judge at Preston Crown Court on October 7.
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Hasnain Ashraf, 34, of Frederick Street, Accrington. Charged with conspiring to supply heroin, crack cocaine and cannabis. Jailed for 10 years and four months
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Lewis Lord, 23, of South Square, Blackpool. Charged with conspiring to supply heroin and crack cocaine. Jailed for eight years and nine months
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Lloyd Spencer, 41, of Hawkshead Road, Manchester. Charged with conspiring to supply heroin and crack cocaine. Jailed for three years and nine months
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Joseph Oakes, 23, of no fixed address. Charged with conspiring to supply heroin and crack cocaine. Jailed for two years and eight months
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Sameer Amin, 31, of Hovey Close, Manchester. Charged with conspiring to supply heroin, crack cocaine and cannabis. Received a two-year suspended sentence
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Paul Moxham, 50, of Whalley Road, Altham West. Charged with conspiring to supply heroin and crack cocaine. Jailed for Received a two-year suspended sentence
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Aston Johnson, 20, of Brear Vale, Oswaldtwistle. Charged with conspiring to supply heroin and crack cocaine. Jailed for Received a two-year suspended sentence
DS Stu Peall, of Lancashire Constabulary’s East Exploitation Team, said: “These seven men played key roles in what they thought was a well-organised Class A drugs supply operation. Through dedicated police work we managed to unravel their trafficking operation and put them before the courts – even Joseph Oakes who thought he would never be caught.
“We know that these OCGs exploit the most vulnerable members of society and cause misery in the areas in which they operate. We will continue to target these groups, dismantle their operations and put their members before the courts.”
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