SEVEN men convicted of being part of a “successful and lucrative” Newport drugs gang supplying heroin and crack cocaine to drug addicts in the city and throughout South Wales are facing lengthy person terms.

Aftab Hussain, 31, of Laburnum Drive, Newport, and Lewis Farrell, 21, of Herbert Walk, Pill, Newport, were found guilty of conspiracy to supply class A drugs between November 1, 2018 and July 26, 2019 after a six-week trial.

Five other men – Parvis Ishaq, aged 30, of Cyril Street, Murtaza Hussain, aged 23, of Capel Crescent, Avatar Hussain, aged 26, of Bishpool View, Rizwaan Hussain, aged 23, of Llanthewy Road, all Newport, and Mohammed Ali, aged 38, of no fixed abode – pleaded guilty to the same charges during the early stages of the trial.

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Three men were cleared of conspiracy to supply heroin and crack cocaine. Brothers Jacob Jones, 25, of Clarence Place, Newport, and Emile Jones, 31, of East Usk Road, Newport, were found not guilty, along with Hassan Farooq, 34, of Cyril Street, Newport.

The jury was deadlocked in their deliberations concerning two other men and were discharged.

The prosecution have two weeks to decide if they wish to purse a retrial in the cases of Erfan Kamber, 34, of Corporation Road, Newport, and Varinder Sanghera, 40, of Queen Street, Pontrhydyfen, Neath Port Talbot.

The guilty men were convicted following a police operation codenamed Washington and are due to be sentenced next month.

They were remanded in custody.

Prosecutor Heath Edwards said the seven were all part of a “successful and lucrative business” that used a central pay-as-you-go mobile phone line to meet the needs of hundreds of customers.

He told the jury of eight men and four women: “They all worked together as part of a conspiracy to supply heroin and crack cocaine to drug addicts in Newport and beyond.

“Each defendant assisted in a different way. It was a successful and lucrative business. The telephone was a valuable commodity.”

He added that group text messages would be sent out to hundreds of drug addicts advertising products with prices and advising potential customers, “Hurry while stocks last.”

The court heard how “text bombs or flares” were used to advertise class A drugs for sale to existing clients.

Drug users from all over South Wales would call the number, known as the ‘Goshi’ line, and place orders for heroin and crack cocaine before a “runner” would deliver the merchandise in return for cash after meeting them in Newport city centre, Mr Edwards said.

The number was contacted on average 234 times a day over a nine-month period.