‘Jay line’ drugs gang who posed with massive wads of cash facing jail

A massive county lines drug network has been smashed by officers who found two criminals - one nicknamed Escobar - posing with wads of cash. The group operated the ‘Jay line’, supplying cocaine and cannabis from Birmingham to almost 400 users in the city and across Warwickshire.

The line was originally run by Shakeel Khan and Mohammed Asim, who sold it for £40,000 to Shamraz and Amrez Alam, West Midlands Police said. The force looked into the Jay line in 2020 and 2021, reviewing thousands of phone messages to work out who was behind it. Officers found photos of Asim and Shamraz Alam brazenly posing with thousands of pounds in cash in a car.

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Shamraz's girlfriend Valentina Dobre, who called him ‘Escobar’ after the notorious Colombian drug lord, stored and packaged drugs before they were sold. And Mudassar Hussain and Waqar Ali both worked on the drugs line.

Police officers carried out a series of raids at addresses across Birmingham leading to them arresting the seven. While searching one of the properties, a list was found containing the names of dozens of people and how much money they owed.

A total of £212,680 in cash was seized across different homes, with money found at each address. More than £80,000 was found at the home of Shamraz and Amrez Alam. Originally, almost 400 drug users had been encouraged to pay directly into Asim's bank account via transfer.

Asim was quizzed on the account. Police said he tried to convince officers that although the account was his, he had lent it to a friend to use and knew nothing about the transactions.

When Dobre's address in Edgbaston was searched, no drugs were found, but a car parked outside was examined revealing a converted firearm, a pellet gun, a starter pistol and five live rounds as well as documents relating to Shamraz Alam.

Dobre told officers she knew nothing about drug dealing, But she could not explain why she referred to Shamraz as Escobar. Shakeel Khan, 29, of Tile Cross Road, Birmingham, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply class A drugs and was sentenced to ten years in prison on April 10.

The other defendants were convicted of a range of offences:

• Shamraz Alam, 31, of School Road, Hall Green, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply Class A and was also found guilty of firearm possession.

• Amrez Alam, 30, also of School Road, Hall Green, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply Class A and was also found guilty of firearm possession.

• Mohammed Asim, 30, of Ferndale Road, Hall Green, pleaded guilty to possession of criminal property.

• Valentina Dobre, 40, of York Road, Edgbaston, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply Class A.

• Waqar Ali, 31, of Oakfield Road, Selly Park, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply Class A.

• Mudassar Hussain, 39, also of Oakfield Road, Selly Park, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply Class A.

They are all due to be sentenced on July 11 and 12.