International drug dealer who led Luton organised crime group faces jail after drugs and firearms conviction

A high-ranking drug dealer who based himself abroad believing he would be beyond the reach of police has been convicted of running a gang which imported huge amounts of class A drugs.

Mohammed Waqas Khan, 35, led an organised crime group (OCG) based in Watford and Luton which was responsible for wholesale distribution of cocaine and heroin nation-wide. 

An investigation by the Eastern Region Special Operations Unit (ERSOU) found that he controlled a highly organised network which had a hierarchy of criminals including a lieutenant, couriers, and subordinates who stored drugs and firearms.

Khan's OCG arranged the importation and distribution of vast amounts of class A drugs, with message conversations between the group indicating they regularly distributed up to 100kg a day.

Khan, of Princes Avenue, Watford, believed he was beyond the reach of UK law enforcement living in Dubai, but returned to his family home in March 2020 due to the Covid lockdown.

This coincided with the launch of Operation Venetic, an international police operation which uncovered thousands of message exchanges by criminals using the EncroChat communications tool.

He was identified to be behind the EncroChat handle 'Bigpablito.com', with detectives able to build a detailed picture of his role coordinating the OCG's activity.

In April 2020, warrants were conducted alongside colleagues from Hertfordshire Constabulary and Bedfordshire Police, leading to the simultaneous arrest of Waqas Khan and associates Mohammed Ahmed, Aris Saghir and Zakir Farid. 

The enforcement led to the recovery of several kilogrammes of cocaine and heroin, cash, six firearms and 180 rounds of ammunition. 

Investigators reviewing the group's communications found that, between January and April 2020, they were likely to have imported and distributed hundreds and potentially thousands of kilogrammes of illicit drugs.

During a seven-week trial which ended on Tuesday (19 March), Michael Orishadare, 31, of New Hythe Lane, Aylesford in Kent, was also found guilty of conspiracy to supply cocaine and heroin. He was a trusted importer of drugs who used a variety of connections based in the Netherlands to import cocaine and heroin into the UK, primarily through Tilbury Docks. 

Waqas Khan was found guilty of conspiracy to supply cocaine, heroin and ketamine, possession of firearms with intent to cause fear of violence and possession of ammunition. 

The pair join five other members of the OCG already convicted, including: 

• Aris Saghir, 35, of Kenilworth Road, Luton, who was Waqas Khan's lieutenant. As well as being involved in moving and selling the drugs, he also recruited criminals into the OCG and was responsible for managing the couriers.
• Mohammed Ahmed, 39, of Avondale Road, Luton, was a storekeeper who kept six handguns and 180 rounds of ammunition for the OCG as well as several kilogrammes of cocaine. He was jailed for 13-and-a-half years in November 2022.
• Mohammed Shergul Khan, 37, of Dunstable Road, Luton, was a courier and storekeeper who was arrested with 23kg of cocaine and heroin and 25kg of MDMA as he waited in Luton to meet another dealer. He was jailed for 10-and-a-half years in November 2022.
• Aftab Ayub, 34, of Ascot Road, Luton, was stopped on the M1 with 20kg of cocaine as he tried to travel to Luton. He was jailed for eight years in November 2022.
• Zakir Farid, 24, of Griffin Court, Luton, was another courier used by the OCG. He was trusted to travel to Tilbury to collect large amounts of Class A drugs and store cash on behalf of the crime group.

The four OCG members yet to be sentenced are due to appear at Luton Crown Court on Friday, 26 April.

Detective Chief Inspector Steve Dowty, from ERSOU's Regional Organised Crime Unit (ROCU), said: "This is one of the most significant operations our unit has ever been involved in and we are delighted that these incredibly dangerous men will be behind bars for a considerable time, and no longer present a threat to our communities 

"This OCG were purely motivated by profit and greed and paid absolutely no regard to the damage their activities were causing. Messages uncovered by detectives indicated they were potentially willing to kidnap and even murder those who got in their way, which just shows how vital it was to apprehend them.

"Mohammed Waqas Khan in particular thought he was above the law and considered himself untouchable. Basing himself abroad - away from the day-to-day running of the criminality – he was happy for others to do his dirty work. However, ERSOU's investigators built a detailed picture of how he controlled his empire, and he was confronted with an enormous package of evidence at court.  

"Our specialist teams work tirelessly to target the most notorious criminals in our region. I would like to thank everyone involved in the operation, for their dedication to removing this group from society.