TWO men have been jailed after the police smashed a “well organised and highly lucrative” cannabis supply ring by seizing an Audi containing a drugs ledger and more than £400,000 in cash.

The gang was trafficking kilos of the Class B drug in Bradford, Keighley, Halifax and Doncaster, prosecutor Ashleigh Metcalfe told Bradford Crown Court.

The police made five seizures of cannabis during an operation to bust the organisation ­amounting to 2.l kilos of the drug.

A ledger seized from the boot of an abandoned Audi contained evidence of the sale of £800,000 of cannabis, Miss Metcalfe said. Police also found £427,693 in cash in the vehicle.

Yesterday, Daanyal Yasin, 23, of Palin Avenue, Bradford Moor, Bradford, and Khizer Hussain, 39, whose address was given as HMP Leeds, were jailed for their roles in the conspiracy and its aftermath.

Yasin pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply cannabis, along with Mohammed Atif Khan, 35, of Fagley Road, Fagley, Bradford; and Sikander Khan, 38, of Hodgson Avenue, Bradford Moor, Bradford.

Hussain pleaded guilty to conspiracy to burgle and possession of criminal property, with Yasin, and conspiracy to pervert the course of justice.

Yasin also admitted dangerous driving and driving without a licence or insurance, and over the drug limit. The court heard he crashed into three vehicles during a high-speed police chase.

Asim Jhangir, 35, of Roydstone Terrace, Bradford, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to pervert the course of justice, with Hussain.

The court heard that Yasin was a trusted lieutenant in the supply ring for at least 14 months. His name appeared 19 times in the drugs ledger when he made a written record of the sale of more than four kilos of cannabis.

Sikander Khan was a driver with the drugs organisation on 56 occasions and trusted to bag up the cannabis.

Mohamed Atif Khan was also a driver and the custodian of up to two kilos of cannabis, worth £16,000, at a time.

Judge Neil Davey QC said the five had all played a part in the long-running and lucrative conspiracy, which ran from May 2019 to July last year, or a role in its aftermath.

On July 29 last year, the police seized an Audi abandoned by Yasin and it was taken to a secure depot for the night. The recovery truck was followed and the entrance to the depot blocked by a BMW car.

That night there was an attempted break-in to recover the car. The three culprits were seen on CCTV attempting the burglary, alerting the police to the drug sales ledger and £427,693 in cash in the boot of the vehicle.

Hussain and Jhangir tried to get the Audi back by producing falsified documents, the court was told.

Yasin was imprisoned for three years and two months and banned from driving for 12 months after his release from custody.

Hussain was jailed for two years and nine months.

Mohammed Atif Khan, who was on bail, received a 12 month community order with 180 hours of unpaid work.

Sikander Khan, who spent a long time in custody, was also sentenced to a 12 month community order but with 90 hours of unpaid work.

Jhangier was jailed for a nominal one day because he had been recalled on licence and remanded in custody since his arrest. He is still serving his period behind bars on recall.

Judge Davey said he had factored in the Covid-restricted conditions currently in place in prison, and the time the defendants had spent in custody.

In mitigation for Hussain, it was stated that he was very lightly convicted from a long time ago and could lead a law-abiding life. He had been in custody since his arrest on July 31 last year.

Jonathan Turner, for Sikander Khan, said he was paid £70 a day to drive for the drugs ring and had served his sentence in custody already. He was working as a security guard throughout the period he was employed by the organisation and now had a job at a bakery.

Jeremy Hill-Baker, for Yasin, said he was a young man of good character before getting involved with the drugs ring.

“He was a very small player in what was going on. He was effectively a street dealer under the direction of others. He was being used to sell drugs and to deliver a parcel and some records to those above him,” Mr Hill-Baker said.

When the Audi was seized by the police he tried to get it back when he found out what was in it.

He had been remanded in custody since August 20 last year. His father was ill and he wanted to be there to support him.

Andrew Dallas, for Jhangir, said he was recruited to try to get the Audi back from the police. He was told to claim it was his car and he had no idea what was in it.

He was recalled on licence and had been in custody since, gaining enhanced status in prison.

Balbir Singh, for Mohammed Atif Khan, said he played a limited role in the cannabis conspiracy. He was allowed to sleep in a vehicle if he minded the drugs. It was a couple of kilos that didn’t belong to him.

He was very regretful and remorseful and working hard at the family grocery business.

Mr Singh said he was “a small cog” and got involved because of his use of cannabis which he had since cut right back on.