The Manchester drugs empire that has come crashing down

manchestereveningnews.co.uk:

A prisoner ran a drugs empire from behind bars - while he spent 23 hours a day in his cell during the Covid lockdown. Safeer Ali, 41, was locked up in HMP Berwyn when he began sourcing cocaine, before passing details of customers, other dealers and quantities of substances to associates on the outside.

Eight other men - including his then-teenage cousin - were involved in the operation, which saw cocaine and heroin flogged on the streets of Manchester through the 'Bullet' drugs line.

All nine men have now faced justice at Manchester Crown Court. The court heard that in December 2018, Safeer Ali was jailed for nine-and-a-half years for firearms offences.

He was locked up at HMP Berwyn. "Since September 6 2019, Safeer Ali had organised and facilitated the sale of drugs around the Manchester area," Amanda Johnson, prosecuting, said. READ MORE: The missed opportunity to stop an axe killer "He was assisted by the other defendants, who all had different roles carrying out drug dealing activities - including street dealing, for the collective financial benefit, with Ali directing them from his cell in prison." Safeer Ali sourced the drugs as he pulled the strings from prison.