A GANG who sold heroin and crack cocaine in Ledbury have been shut down following a covert police operation.

The County Lines drug chain, known as the 'Uzi line', supplied around 2kg of class A drugs and made over £150,000 during a 12-month period by running drugs to Ledbury and Malvern from Birmingham.

Zoheeb Habib, Usman Rafiq, Atieb Osman and Mohinoor Rashid from Birmingham; Denise Lynch from Aston and Kane Payne from Oldbury were jailed for a total of more than 40 years on Friday November 16 for conspiracy to supply Class A drugs.

They were caught following a joint investigation by West Mercia Police and the West Midlands Regional Organised Crime Unit.

Habib and Rafiq were stopped by police in Malvern last June, shortly after police captured evidence of them dealing drugs in Knapp Lane, Ledbury.

It was also discovered that Osman and Rashid were making regular trips to Ledbury and Malvern from Birmingham to fulfil Uzi Line orders placed by 'customers'.

Osman was sentenced to nine-and-a-half years; Habib for eight years; Rashid for six years and Lynch and Payne were jailed for two-and-a-half years after they earlier admitted their involvement.

Rafiq denied conspiracy to supply class A drugs but jurors at Worcester Crown Court found him guilty on Friday November 16 and he now faces 12 years behind bars.

They are the first convictions as part Operation Ballet which targets suspected County Lines drug dealers.

Detective Inspector Julie Woods from the West Midlands Regional Organised Crime Unit leads Operation Ballet.

She said: "Op Ballet is the largest operation of its kind ever carried out in the region and in June saw West Midlands Police team up with West Mercia colleagues to carry out a series of raids across the region and London.

"In total, the operation has netted 75 suspected drug dealers believed to be involved in a total of ten County Lines operating out of the West Midlands and the capital. Some are awaiting sentence after admitting drug dealing while other are facing trial."

Superintendent Sue Thomas, Policing Commander for Herefordshire, said: "Operation Ballet is part of West Mercia Police's broader 'Protect' campaign to tackle serious and organised crime.

"We are determined to protect our communities from the supply of illegal drugs which are often targeted at the most vulnerable. We want to make it clear to offenders that there will be consequences should they engage in dealing illegal drugs.

"This operation is not over. Further arrests and warrants are planned to tackle those who are suspected of being involved in transporting drugs across county lines. We continue to work with other police forces and law enforcement partners to target those who traffic drugs from larger cities to more rural counties like Herefordshire."