A third man has been jailed for the role he played in using a rented Bradford apartment to mix and deal Class A drugs.

Rameez Anjum, 28, of Cross Road, Idle, was found to have 3.5 kilos of heroin – with a potential street value of £280,000 – a .38 starter pistol, which had been converted to fire live rounds, and six rounds of ammunition hidden under a mattress when police searched his home.

Officers from the National Crime Agency were watching the apartment rented by Anjum and had seen business partners Mohammed Abbas Azeem, 31, also of the Idle flat, and Shaun Kellett, 42, of no fixed abode, visit throughout the day.

Investigators arrested Azeem on suspicion of conspiracy to supply controlled drugs as he left the apartment in his car.

They recovered a number of mobile phones and found a set of keys for the apartment in his pocket.

They used the keys to go into the apartment where they found Kellett vacuum cleaning, with the taps in the bathroom running.

Officers believe he had been flushing drugs away and vacuuming up evidence. They arrested him on suspicion of conspiracy to supply controlled drugs.

When they searched the two bedroom apartment, officers found a food blender that had been used to mix drugs with cutting agents and found traces of heroin and cocaine in the vacuum cleaner.

They also found drug paraphernalia, including clear plastic bags, scales, masks and heat sealers. Analysis confirmed they were all contaminated with heroin.

Anjum pleaded guilty to possessing a section five firearm in February 2018, but faced a re-trial for conspiring to supply Class A drugs.

He pleaded guilty at Leeds Crown Court to conspiracy to supply heroin, cocaine and crack cocaine earlier this month and was sentenced to eight years and two months in prison. This will run concurrent to the five years for his earlier plea in February.

Azeem and Kellet were sentenced to 14 years and five years respectively in February 2018 for conspiring to supply Class A drugs.

Officers estimate that hundreds of kilos of Class A drugs had potentially been cut and distributed from the apartment.

Angela McKenna, from the NCA’s Armed Operations Unit, said: “We believe this investigation has significantly disrupted the activities of a well organised crime group who were responsible for distributing large quantities of class A drugs across West Yorkshire.

“These individuals were involved in serious criminality and given the fact a firearm and ammunition were recovered, they were clearly a danger to the public.

“We will continue to work with our colleagues from West Yorkshire Police to tackle the violent nature of those involved in this level of criminality.”