Drugs mastermind jailed for his leading role brining cocaine and heroin into Bedfordshire

Abdirizak Alassow, 21, of Pemdevon Road, Croydon, was put behind bars today (Thursday, June 26) after pleading guilty to being concerned in the supply of Class A drugs

After an extensive investigation, officers from Bedfordshire Police’s specialist Operation Nola team were able to prove that Alassow was the mastermind behind the so-called ‘Nino line’ running drugs into Bedford.

Officers were able to paint a compelling picture of Alassow’s involvement in criminal activity.

The court heard how Alassow was linked to a phone number which sent out so-called mailshots advertising drugs for sale.

He was arrested multiple times in Bedford over the past 10 months, including after a drugs warrant in January. On some occasions he was found in possession of drugs and cash.

In April he was arrested on suspicion of driving a motor vehicle without the owner’s consent, after Alassow was spotted by a PCSO.

Analysis of phone data found on Alassow at the time further implicated him in the supply of Class A drugs.

Detective Sergeant Tom Hamm, whose team led the investigation, said: “This was a complex and painstaking investigation which painted a clear picture of Alassow’s involvement in drugs supply.

“We were able to piece together multiple pieces of information to leave it beyond question that he was a key player.”

This is the third major sentence for those involved in running county lines into Bedford in recent months.

Esa Wabasemba, 20, of West Hill, London, was a dealer for the Nino line. In April he was sentenced to spend three years in a young offender institute.

A separate operation targeting a different county line led to the conviction of Dale Williams, 30, of Wigston, Leicestershire. Earlier this month he was jailed for four years.

Both operations were led by Operation Nola, the team dedicated to tackling county lines coming into Bedfordshire with support from the force’s guns and gangs intelligence team.

PC James West said: “We are determined to make Bedfordshire a hostile environment for anyone attempting to come into our county and deal drugs.

“Through this enforcement action we have been able to dismantle two major drugs supply lines into Bedford.

“These drugs gangs are often involved in trafficking children across the country to deal drugs, as well as exploiting vulnerable adults.

“To end this exploitation of vulnerable people it is vital that we continue to arrest those involved in drugs supply and put them behind bars.”

If you have information about drugs activity taking place, report it to 101 or via Bedfordshire Police online reporting centre.

All this information is fed into police intelligence systems and can play a big part in helping police fight organised crime.

Alternatively you can contact Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.