A WANTED Bradford man arrested at Manchester Airport on his way back from Pakistan is the final suspect to be sentenced in a major police crackdown on street drug dealers.

The detective leading Operation Stalebank last night praised Telegraph & Argus readers for helping to track down Mohammad Rashad and bring him to justice.

Rashad was yesterday jailed for 27 months for selling wraps of heroin to an undercover police officer in Morley Street, in Bradford city centre, on January 25 and 30, 2013. He admitted the offences at an earlier hearing.

The 26-year-old was covertly photographed at the scene and in August last year, the police appealed in the T&A for help to identify him. Rashad was the last suspect to be named and detectives released his image in a final bid to trace him.

Yesterday, Bradford Crown Court heard Rashad was by then in Pakistan, having left the UK in March, 2013.

West Yorkshire Police swooped when Rashad flew into Manchester Airport on March 1 this year.

Detective Inspector Ian Bryar, who led the investigation, said: "We had a good response from Telegraph & Argus readers to that appeal and a couple of people came up with his name. We went to the family's address in Bradford and they told us he had left the country."

An international alert was put out to trace Rashad and in March the police got a 'short notice alert' from Border Authorities that he had boarded a flight from Pakistan.

"Bradford detectives sped to Manchester Airport and were there to greet him when he stepped off the plane. Special thanks to your readers who identified him and put us on the right track and showed justice was done," DI Bryar said.

"The sentencing of Rashad concludes an operation which has caused significant disruption to the supply and distribution of Class A drugs in Bradford District and has resulted in significant jail terms for those involved.

"We would like to thank the public for really getting behind this operation and providing us with key information that helped us to identify suspects, make arrests and bring people to justice."

Prosecutor Michael Greenhalgh told the court Rashad was working for the 'Frankie' dealer line, selling wraps of heroin for £10 each.

Undercover police officer 'Matt' bought the drugs, transported by Rashad in a Kinder Surprise chocolate egg.

Rashad's barrister, James Bourne-Arton, said it was two-and-a-half years since his client committed the offences within a five day period.

Rashad was studying at Bradford University and had a bright future until he married too young, Mr Bourne-Arton said.

He fell into a bad crowd, left his wife and baby and got into debt, smoking cannabis and gambling on a mobile phone app.

He was offered the chance to earn money by joining the dealer line.

Shortly afterwards, Rashad's father sent him away to Pakistan to "clean up his act", not knowing he had been photographed selling Class A drugs.

Rashad, of Sherborne Road, Great Horton, was now back with his wife and child and in full time work, the court was told.

The Recorder of Bradford, Judge Roger Thomas QC, said Rashad's father had done everything possible to bring him up well and keep him out of trouble - but his son was cautioned for possession of cannabis the month after he returned to the UK.

The judge said dealers snared by Operation Stalebank were part of a "slick and sophisticated" enterprise.

"I have sentenced over a hundred people caught by this operation supplying Class A drugs on the streets of Bradford," he said.

In all, more than 100 street dealers were put behind bars by Operation Stalebank, with prison sentences of more than 300 years handed out, ranging from 15 months to six years.