THE ‘regional manager’ of a drug dealing enterprise is behind bars after peddling heroin and crack cocaine on the streets of Worcester for 18 months.

Kasim Ali also roped in his cousin, Hassan Tasleem, to deal drugs in the city. Both appeared at Worcester Crown Court yesterday after their arrests as part of Operation Blade.

The Dudley dealers were arrested outside a drugs den at 6A Teme Road, Tolladine, Worcester on November 6 last year.

Ali, aged 23, of Aston Road, Dudley, had 36 wraps of heroin and 59 wraps of crack cocaine hidden up his backside. Tasleem, aged 20, of Richmond Road, Dudley had 33 wraps of crack cocaine.

Ali admitted six counts of being concerned in the supply of heroin and crack cocaine and two of possession of heroin and crack cocaine with intent to supply.

Tasleem admitted two counts of possession of heroin and crack cocaine with intent to supply.

Giles Nelson, prosecuting, said Ali had been dealing drugs between April 2016 and his final arrest in November 2017, supplying ‘a busy market here in Worcester’ across county lines. He described it as ‘a serious commercial operation’ and said, in Ali’s case, there was ‘a pattern of persistence’.

Ali was arrested for drug dealing on May 11, 2016 in Merstow Green, on September 10, 2017 in Bromsgrove, on September 30, 2017 in St Paul’s Street, Worcester and finally on November 6, 2017 in Teme Road, Worcester.

‘Painstaking’ police work established phone links between Ali and drug users. Messages had been sent advertising his presence to 30 customers.

Ali had a benefit of £25,618 in the enterprise but £1,058 will be confiscated from him.

Sophie O’Sullivan, defending both, said Ali had been a drug user at the time and referred to his lack of previous convictions. She said of Tasleem there had been ‘an element of exploitation’ of him and he had fallen into drug use over an eight month period. His early guilty plea and a testimonial from his partner were also mentioned.

Judge Jim Tindal said of Ali: “He was, for want of a better phrase, the regional manager. It’s am aggravating feature that he recruited his cousin.”

Ali was jailed for four years. Tasleem received a sentence of two years, suspended for two years and must complete 200 hours of unpaid work.