Peterborough couple who ran drug dealing business from city homes sentenced

A Peterborough couple who ran a ‘sophisticated’ drugs business from their city homes have been sentenced at court.

Mohammed Ahmed and girlfriend Helen Sutcliffe were found with drugs, cash and other items when police raided their homes last year.

Ahmed was jailed at a hearing at Cambridge Crown Court on March 3. Sutcliffe was given a suspended prison sentence earlier this year.

Following the hearing, Detective Constable Jacob Reeves, who investigated, spoke of the ‘misery’ drug dealing brings to the city, and said: “This drug dealing duo were running a sophisticated criminal enterprise supplying class A drugs throughout Cambridgeshire and the surrounding area. Unfortunately for the pair they left a trail of evidence behind and have now been sentenced for their crimes.

“County lines bring misery to our communities in the form of drug dealing, exploitation and violence.”

The court heard that police raided the home of Ahmed in Cottonwood Drive on 21 September and found £5,000 stashed in his wardrobe and three mobile phones in his bed.

In his vehicle they also found another £200 in cash and wraps of cocaine in the driver’s door and in the sunglasses holder.

At the same time officers also searched the home of Sutcliffe, in Glover Drive and found further wraps of cocaine, edible cannabis and a drug debt and delivery list.

Ahmed (25) was sentenced to four years in prison after pleading guilty to being concerned in the supply of class A drugs and possession of criminal property.

Sutcliffe, (40), was sentenced on 11 January to 18 months in prison, suspended for 18 months, after pleading guilty to being concerned in the supply of class A drugs.

The raids were part of Operation Hypernova, a crackdown on exploitation and illegal drugs in Peterborough and Cambridgeshire.

During the operation, 33 county lines were dismantled, with crack cocaine, cocaine, heroin and cannabis worth more than £600,000 seized along with hundreds of thousands of pounds in cash and assets including vehicles, jewellery and clothing. Several weapons were also seized.