TWO Bradford drug dealers have been given long jail sentences after persistently plying their trade in West Yorkshire after they were repeatedly caught red-handed.

Mohammed Usman, 25, of Killinghall Road, Bradford, was imprisoned for seven years and four months after he was caught trafficking Class A drugs on four separate occasions.

Umar Hussain, also 25, of First Avenue, Bradford Moor, Bradford, was locked up for four and a half years for drugs offences, dangerous driving and affray.

Sentencing them at Bradford Crown Court today, Recorder Richard Wright KC said both had over the course of many months or years been involved in repetitive street dealing.

“Each of you played a significant role in the drug trafficking that you engaged in,” he said.

“There would be others higher up the chain but you have persistently dealt Class A and B drugs on the street after being arrested, interviewed and released under investigation.”

Prosecutor Brian Russell told the court that Usman was caught trafficking heroin, crack cocaine and cannabis on August 21, 2018, from a blue Seat that sped off up Killinghall Road.

It was pursued at 70mph into a dead end when Usman, a passenger in the car, was apprehended trying to run off.

A package of 62 heroin wraps and 129 wraps of crack cocaine, plus cannabis, and £1,487 in cash was seized by the police.

Usman was released under investigation and went on to plead guilty to possession with intent to supply Class A and B drugs.

On July 18, 2019, he was spotted by the police in Wakefield in a black VW Golf.

Officers stopped the car and smashed the window, Mr Russell said. Usman had £315 in cash in his jacket and packages of 75 wraps of heroin and cocaine on him valued at £1,500. He pleaded guilty to trafficking Class A drugs.

Usman and Hussain were then seen together in Leeds at 11pm on March 15, 2020. When a car they were travelling was stopped by the police, Usman discarded packages of MDMA and cocaine. He admitted possession with intent to supply the drugs and Hussain pleaded guilty to offering to supply them.

On March 22, 2020, Hussain was stopped at the wheel of a black VW Golf shortly before 6.30pm in Bradford.

He had cannabis in the car, £172 in cash and five phones, one with evidence that he was dealing the drug.

On June 1, 2020, at 10pm, Hussain failed to stop for the police in a VW Passat in Leeds. He collided with the police vehicle doing £300 damage and accelerated off. He abandoned the car and was caught trying to escape in a taxi.

He gave false details to the police and a no comment interview.

Hussain pleaded guilty to dangerous driving and also to a separate incident of affray.

Usman was arrested on October 6, 2020, in a Ford Focus in Wakefield. He had 15 wraps of heroin with him and £300 in cash.

He admitted possession with intent to supply the Class A drug.

Mr Russell said both men were in the business of street drug dealing for a substantial period of time. Despite being frequently caught, they carried on doing it.

Shufqat Khan, Usman’s barrister, said he was a very young man at the time and his last offence was in October, 2020.

“He wasn’t done any favours by not being charged earlier on,” Mr Khan said.

He asked the recorder to take into account the principle of totality when sentencing him for four sets of offences.

Rebecca Young, for Hussain, said he had used cannabis from aged ten or 11 and racked up a large debt. He was told to deal the Class B drug to pay for it.

After he was arrested and had drugs seized, he owed money for them and foolishly thought he had to carry on dealing.

Generally, he wasn’t involved in the supply of Class A drugs, Miss Young said.

He took full responsibility for his actions and was a young man at the time.

Hussain was banned from driving for four years and two months for the dangerous driving offence.