SHAME SHAME
COUNTY LINES DRUG GANG GETS 40 YEARS AFTER NOTTS CABBIE’S DASH CAM FILMED CONVERSATIONS
A County Lines drug gang has been jailed for 40 years after a cabbie on their payroll accidentally recorded him- self ferrying dealers around and discussing their crimes on his own dash cam. According to the Daily Mail, the ‘Mar- low Line’ drug ring moved around a kilo of crack cocaine and heroin into Derby from Nottingham between March 20 and July 22 last year. Gang members also sent out a stagger- ing 8,439 texts to potential users advertising the drugs they were sup- plying. They used addicts’ houses as a base where they bullied vulnerable young people into selling the drugs. The gang were nailed after they recruit- ed taxi driver Shahid Iqbal, 41, who transported drugs and dealers around the city. But he unwittingly kept his taxi dash cam on while ferrying drug run- ners around and was recorded boasting about their crimes. In one clip released by Derbyshire Police, Iqbal tells a boy sitting in the back of the taxi to top up his phone with credit with cash received from a deal.
As the gang moved into the Stock- brook area of Derby, officers became aware of Iqbal using his taxi to trans- port dealers around the city. During a series of coordinated warrants and car stops Iqbal was arrested and his taxi seized. Inside was found the dash cam that recorded, in both pictures and sound, vast amounts of footage detailing the drug dealing activities of the gang. It also showed Iqbal explaining to teenage boys what they were expected to do in order to sell the drugs. In another clip Iqbal swears loyalty to henchman Mohammed Haely who’s sat in the back of the taxi. The driver says: “Like I say, innit, what- ever goes on between me and you stays between me and you. Nobody
JUNE 2021
needs to know about nothing, ya get me.” Haely replies: “Ya see this run here, it’s at least once a day.” Iqbal says: “When- ever you need me, anytime, day, night, anytime, ya get me. I’ll be there for you brother.
“You keep me running around, it’s going to put something on my table innit bro.” He also issued chilling threats to the young runners, warning them they would beaten if they cost the gang money by not arriving promptly to col- lect the drugs. Police arrested 11 members of the gang who admitted their roles in the supply of drugs at Derby Crown Court on 6 May. Ten members of the gang were jailed for more than 40 years on 21 May. The court heard the drugs were cut and packaged at the Nottingham home of an addict before being driven down the
A52 into Derby to be sold from three separate properties. The drugs would be given to runners, who would then re-stock the sellers in Derby. Cabbie, Shahid Iqbal, of Nottingham, was jailed for four years. NPHTA: This highlights the minority within our trade. It is disgusting behaviour and we are delighted this driver has been caught and removed from the industry!! We cannot allow these people to con- tinually bring our industry into disrepute. There is also the issue that a dashcam was used, which in itself is unlawful, but also the audio was active. As we keep advising, the audio on the majority of dashcams is default active, which is also completely against ICO regulations. We have issued many news articles on this subject to try to make sure that you all have access to the regulations and remain informed and up to date. Clearly this driver had not read any of the reports, or indeed any other legislation.
GLASGOW CABBIE WHO SEXUALLY ASSAULTED TEENAGER IN CAR JAILED
A taxi driver who sexually assaulted a teenager in his car has been jailed for 21 months. STC News reports that Adil Taj, 42, attacked the 17 year-old on a journey from Glasgow city centre in September 2019. He also touched a 21- year-old Spanish student inapprop- riately after she rented a room from him at his flat, also in September 2019. Taj was found guilty by a jury to two charges of sexual assault after a trial at Glasgow Sheriff Court in April. Sheriff Joan Kerr also put Taj on the sex offenders register for ten years. The court heard Taj told the first victim
he could take her home in his taxi after she missed her train from Glasgow Central at midnight. She said: “He looked at the mirror in the front of the car and said that I was a pretty girl. He asked me to kiss him, I was scared, I thought he was going to kidnap me. He stopped the car and came into the back and unzipped his trousers.” The girl then stated Taj grabbed her hand and made her perform a sex act on him before driving her home. Kevin Corr, defending, said that Taj maintains his innocence and is still sup- ported by his partner.
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