Drug dealer throws £10k cocaine over a fence as police raid home in county lines crackdown

A drone was recording from on high - with footage posted above - as a desperate dealer frantically ran from the property in Small Heath and grabbed the drugs from a barbecue.

As police raided the property, Zain Hussain was filmed by the police drone recovering a black bag from a barbecue and throwing it into the garden of a neighbouring property before he was arrested. Watch the clip above (click to play).

When police recovered the bag, officers found cocaine with more than £10,000, along with hundreds of pounds worth of heroin.

Drug dealers jailed

Four men have now been handed sentences of up to nine-and-a-half years in prison for their role in the drugs gang which operated in the south of Birmingham.

It was known as the “Saj Line” and had fielded more than 60,000 calls from customers. The police's County Lines Task Force began investigating a drug line that ran from a phone number ending "176."

Users in the south of Birmingham would ring or text the number between 9am and midnight every day to order drugs.

The police investigation showed that 63,426 incoming calls, 27,451 outgoing calls, and nearly 9,000 text messages were sent and received on the line from its launch in June 2023 to its smashing by police in May last year.

A major operation involving analysis of multiple mobile phones and their movements over time enabled police to identify the gang members, including two brothers and their nephew, police said.

Police then raided two neighbouring homes on Kenelm Road, Small Heath, which were both occupied by Sajad Akram. He was arrested at the address on May 9, last year.

£10k cocaine thrown over fence

As police raided the property, his nephew Zain Hussain was filmed by the police drone recovering a black bag from a barbecue and throwing it into the garden of a neighbouring property before he, too, was arrested.

When police recovered the bag, officers found cocaine with more than £10,000, along with hundreds of pounds worth of heroin.

At the same time, police arrested associate Asif Mohammed at an address on Blakeland Street, in Small Heath seizing four mobile phones, Class A drugs and note paper with details of drug deals.

Crackdown on drugs

Det Insp Mark Robinson from the West Midlands Police County Lines Task Force, said: “This was a substantial drugs line, selling to users across the south of Birmingham. “We estimate that more than 60 unique callers were getting in touch with the number each day, and so over the period that the number was operating, the gang may have sold up to 12kg of class A drugs.

“Shazad played a leading role – managing the phone and directing others to go and supply the drugs the drugs that were being asked for.

“Sajad would bag up drugs for the line and on occasion carry out deals himself, while Asif was the one who would often be out during the dealing for the line and Zain was filmed trying to dispose of the drugs on the day.”

You can report any suspected drugs related crimes by calling 101 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111. Find out more by searching "Operation Target West Midlands Police"