TWO men from Bradford have been jailed for a total of 20 years for supplying heroin after being caught in a sting by the National Crime Agency.

Fariman Khan, 46, and Francis Cooper, 61, both of Reynolds Avenue, Great Horton, were sentenced at Leeds Crown Court yesterday.

Khan, who was out on licence for a similar offence at the time, was jailed for 13 years, while Cooper was locked up for seven years.

The pair were arrested in October last year by the National Crime Agency’s Armed Operations Unit, who smashed their front door down under cover of darkness before detaining the two crooks.

This followed a lengthy investigation which identified Khan as a driving force behind the drugs operation which supplied heroin across the UK.

The investigation came about after officers observed a drugs handover in London on July 1, 2016, where Cooper drove a white Ford Transit van from Bradford to Streatham in south London and met Carl Standley.

Officers saw Cooper hand something to Stanley before both drove away in separate vehicles.

Stanley was stopped by the Metropolitan Police in the same street and arrested on suspicion of possession with intent to supply Class A drugs.

They found two blocks of heroin on the passenger seat of the car which was found to be around two kilograms of heroin, worth almost £200,000.

In October 2017, officers searched Khan and Cooper’s property and recovered a number of mobile phones, SIM cards, computer devises and more than £69,000 in cash.

Cooper pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply Class A drugs on April 10, and Khan was found guilty following a trial on July 12.

Stanley, 41, of Cameron Place, West Norwood, London, was given four years in jail in January of this year for possession with intent to supply Class A drugs.

Delivering the sentences, Judge Benjamin Nolan QC said Khan had “taken a lead role in the supply of heroin across a large geographical area”.

John Coles, head of the specialist operations unit at the National Crime Agency, said: “Today’s sentence reflects the serious nature of the crime and the consequences drugs can have on people and the community.

“People like Khan need to realise that they will not get away with repeat offending.

“Working alongside our partners we know what’s going on and will make sure that criminals are stopped and punished.

“Drugs fuel further crime, violence and exploitation and I have no doubt the public are safer now Khan and Cooper behind bars.”

Khan has also been made the subject of a Serious Crime Prevention Order, which will start at the end of his sentence.

It means that for five years after he is released from prison he will be subject to strict restrictions, including what bank accounts he can hold and what communications devices he can use.

He will also have to notify police of where he lives and any business interests he has.