Converted firearm recovered and man arrested following county lines bust in Oldham

A man, aged 19, has been arrested on suspicion of offences related to the supply of class B drugs.

This follows a warrant executed in Oldham as part of a long-formed Greater Manchester Police investigation into social media-based drug lines. 

A converted firearm was recovered, alongside items believed to be used to manufacture and distribute class B drugs.

Detectives in GMP's serious crime division were monitoring activity on a social media-based drug line as part of a probe and waiting for the right moment to strike.

And at 5am yesterday morning (Thursday), that call was made.

Specialist resources were deployed to Harvey Street in Oldham, and officers forced entry into a residential address.

A number of items believed to be associated with drug supply were seized from the property and officers searching the exterior premises recovered a firearm.

This gun has been confirmed as a converted Turkish manufactured Top Venting Blank Firers (TVBF), which is subject to a current national amnesty where owners must surrender them to police stations.

Evidence collected at this property led officers to a search second address on Oldham Road in Failsworth and further items believed to be used to manufacture and distribute class B drugs were seized.

The 19-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of possessing items concerned to be used in the supply of Class B drugs, possession of criminal property, and possession of imitation firearms readily convertible into a firearm.

And now, Sufiaan Ali, of Hardy Street, has been remanded to appear in Minshull Street Court on Friday, March 14, also charged with being concerned in the supply of Class B drugs (namely THC and synthetic cannaboids) and possession of criminal property.

Detective Sergeant John Schofield, from within GMP’s County Lines team, said: “This activity demonstrates how we are continuing to disrupt and dismantle drug lines running in and out of Greater Manchester.

“We know these criminal networks exploit and abuse vulnerable people for their criminal gains and when digital forms of distribution are used, such as social media, they’re widening their access to vulnerable people.

"Our focus is protecting those at risk and pursuing the criminals responsible.

“There is a high level of harm and violence associated with county lines used to ensure the compliance of the vulnerable people they groom and exploit to do the day-to-day drug supply activity.

“The firearm we recovered is an indication of the risk this activity poses to the victims within the network, as well as the wider community.

“People who own a TVBF firearm must surrender it before the end of February and will not face criminal prosecution, however after the amnesty period, anyone found to be in possession of a TVBF could face prosecution and up to 10 years’ imprisonment.”

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