"He showed no signs of slowing down"
A drug dealer who was already serving a lengthy jail sentence has now received an additional 20-year term for his involvement in a prison drugs plot.
After pleading guilty to conspiracy to supply Class A drugs, Omar Din appeared at Manchester Crown Court.
In 2021, Din was convicted of conspiracy to supply cocaine and heroin.
After a police investigation in 2013, Din went on the run for six years.
An international arrest warrant was issued, and he was arrested whilst travelling from Istanbul to Sweden.
He was detained by police, where he had two phones and around £2,500 cash on him.
Din was subsequently jailed for seven years and three months.
But while in prison, he continued with his drug empire.
On August 15, 2023, Din’s cell was searched and he claimed he had no unauthorised items.
The prison officer recovered an orange exercise roller from under his bed which smelt of cannabis. The foam roller was taken away to be searched, and they also recovered an iPhone and charger cable from inside it.
The phone was handed to Greater Manchester Police and detectives launched an investigation.
It was soon discovered that Din was using the phone to supply drugs.
Analysis of the phone showed extensive incoming messages from various parties showing Din was involved with a large-scale drugs conspiracy.
He was facilitating the sale of drugs from prison with an established criminal network on the outside.
The recovered messages showed Din and his associates were also discussing future international business opportunities.
They were sharing debtor lists, drug deal locations and discussing large volumes of cash and Class A drugs.
On April 4, 2024, the drug dealer was questioned in prison.
Despite answering no comment, the messages were evidence that Din was at the top of the drug conspiracy.
The estimated volume of drugs Din was involved in was between 18 and 27 kilograms.
Din ended up receiving another 20 years in prison.
As a result, GMP launched an initiative codenamed Operation Gatehouse to tackle serious organised crime operations from inside prison.
Detective Superintendent Andy Buckthorpe, who is leading Operation Gatehouse, said:
“The impact of organised crime in prison not only impacts the prison estate but overlaps into the wider communities who fall victim to the drugs trade and associated violence.
“To date, this operation has led to several arrests and recoveries of illegal commodities and contraband both within the prisons and in the areas around the prison estate.
“This operation is in its early days, but we remain committed to working with partners to continue our pursuit of those who offend in prison, facilitate the transfer of commodities into prisons, or facilitate these offences and harm our communities.”
Detective Inspector James Coles, of GMP’s Serious Organised Crime Group, said:
“Omar Din has not used his time in prison to rehabilitate, rather he has continued to build on his illicit enterprise.”
“He was fully aware of the illegalities of his actions, but regardless, he sought to profit from the trade of these highly destructive commodities.
“He had several trusted associates on the outside who he directed to do the dirty work, with the scope of the conspiracy spanning international borders.
“He showed no signs of slowing down, with connections in Holland, Hungary, Morocco, and Albania, so I welcome this sentence today and the impact it will have on the organised crime group.
“By removing Omar Din from the chain of command, we will have disrupted their operation, and we continue to identify those below him so we can dismantle the entire organised crime group.”