A Timperley man is among 13 charged with conspiracy to smuggle drugs worth billions of pounds in what is being called the “UK’s biggest ever drugs racket”.
The men, aged between 24 and 59, are suspected of being members of an international organised crime group and have been charged with conspiracies to import class A and B drugs.
Among them were Khaleed Vazeer, a 56-year-old from Westwood Avenue in Timperley, who was charged with two counts of conspiracy to import class A drugs and two counts of conspiracy to import class B drugs.
He and 12 others were arrested as part of a National Crime Agency investigation into the importation of cocaine, heroin and cannabis worth billions of pounds.
They were apprehended during dawn raids on Tuesday across London, Manchester, Stockport, St Helens, Warrington, Bolton, Dewsbury and Leeds.
Others from Greater Manchester include Mohammed Ovais, 41, of Burnage, and Ghazanfar Mahmood, 48, from Bolton, who were charged with four counts of conspiracy to import Class A drugs and four counts of conspiracy to import Class B drugs.
Oliver Penter, 37, from Stockport, and Steve Martin, 48, from Bolton, have been charged with two counts of conspiracy to import Class A drugs and two counts of conspiracy to import Class B drugs.
Others who have been charged with four counts of conspiracy to import Class A drugs and four counts of conspiracy to import Class B drugs are Paul Green, 54, of St Helens, Sohail Quereshi, 59, of White City, Ifthikar Hussain, 46, of Leeds, Vojtech Dano, 38, and Ivan Turak, 34, both from Dewsbury.
Andrew Reilly, 37, of St Helens, Mark Peers, 55, of Warrington and Paul Ruane, 54, of Warrington were all charged with two counts of conspiracy to import class A drugs and two counts of conspiracy to import class B drugs.
