Dealers from drugs line supplying Hemel Hempstead and Berkhamsted sent to prison

Two men have been jailed after pleading guilty to possession with intent to supply class A drugs.

Owais Shafiq, 32, of Douglas Avenue, Watford, and Usman Malik, 26, of The Roundway, Watford, appeared for sentencing at Huntingdon Crown Court on Tuesday, April 27.

Shafiq was sentenced to seven years seven months in prison and Malik was sentenced to five years nine months.

In December 2020, officers from the force’s operational support group stopped a Vauxhall Corsa on the A405 Bricket Wood driving towards Watford. The two occupants were arrested on suspicion of drug supply offences.

A hotel room they were using to run a drugs line was subsequently searched and cocaine, cash and equipment used to prepare drugs for sale was discovered.

The line was supplying drugs across Hemel Hempstead, Berkhamsted, Watford, St Albans, Leighton Buzzard, Edgware, Chesham and Hitchin.

PC Chris Armstrong, of Hertfordshire Police's operational support group, said: “Hertfordshire Constabulary will do all we can to bring to justice those that prey on the most vulnerable members of our society.

“Drug misuse has wide-ranging consequences to the residents of Hertfordshire and this investigation and these long sentences show how hard we work with the CPS to target these individuals and send them to prison.

“The fact this enterprise continued unabated throughout the international pandemic speaks volumes about the two individuals and their motivation to make money at the expense of others.”

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