Twelve drug dealers convicted in Tower Hamlets following police operation in Bethnal Green

Twelve drug dealers in Tower Hamlets were sentenced at Snaresbrook Crown Court on Friday after heroin and crack cocaine with a combined value of �6,000 was seized by police.

Tower Hamlets officers held a covert operation in Brady Street and Weavers Field in Bethnal Green last July and August leading to 12 arrests on August 26.

One suspect, a 17-year-old man, was found with the class A drugs, �210 in cash and the mobile phone he used to make drug deals under his pillow.

All the defendants pleaded guilty to supply or being concerned in the supply of class A drugs.

Marjan Ahmed, 18, of Tent Street, was sentenced to three years and Imran Nur Rahman, 21, of Tiber Close, was sentenced to one year concurrent for each offence.

Six other men received a range of community service and suspended sentences.

Habibul Islam, 19, of Tent Street, was sentenced to 150 hours of community work; Muruduz Zaman, 21, of Florida Street, received a suspended 40 week sentence and 100 hours community service; Shah Ahmed, 18, of Darling Row, was sentenced to 50 weeks suspended; Mohammed Zaman, 20, of Florida Street, was sentenced to 40 weeks suspended and 100 hours community service; Mohammed Haydor Miah, 20, of Tarling Street, was sentenced to 40 weeks suspended and 100 hours community service and Rafi Khan, 24, of Brick Lane, received a 50 week suspended sentence and 120 hours community service.

The 17-year-old was sentenced to a 24-month youth rehabilitation order for seven counts of supplying class A drugs and six other men were sentenced to a range of community service and suspended sentences.

Three other men - Ashikur Rahman, 19, of Pallisy Street, Mohammed Hassan, 27, of Glenparke Road and Sharif Kahn, 27, of Hathaway Crescent, will be sentenced on April 1.

The operation was funded through Tower Hamlets council’s “Dealer A Day” programme which also led to more than thirty people being arrested in the borough in the last month.