Four men from Manchester have been jailed after attempting the importation of cocaine into the UK via Southampton docks
At Winchester Crown Court last Friday , Usman Majeed, Waqar Mohammed Ishfaq, Brandon Lawrence and Nasar Ali were sentenced to a combined total of 46 years and six months’ imprisonment.
Majeed, Isfaq and Lawrence pleaded guilty to two counts of conspiracy to supply class A drugs.
Majeed, aged 40, of Broomfield Drive, Manchester, was sentenced to 15 years and three months’ imprisonment.
Ishfaq, aged 36, of Kearsley Road, Manchester, was sentenced to 11 years and four months’ imprisonment.
Lawrence, aged 21, of Grasmere Road, Manchester, was sentenced to nine years and seven months’ imprisonment.
Ali, aged 38, of Cheetham Hill Road, Manchester, was convicted of one count of supplying class A drugs (cocaine). He was sentenced to 11 years and four months’ imprisonment.
Between April and September 2024, the four were involved in a large‑scale conspiracy to supply cocaine across England, travelling extensively to distribute wholesale quantities of the drug.
Evidence showed the group regularly stayed in short‑term accommodation, particularly in the Coventry area, while supplying cocaine in multiple kilogram amounts.
Following detailed analysis of phone data and financial material, prosecutors demonstrated that the conspiracy was responsible for the supply of an estimated 1,600kg to 2,400kg of cocaine during this period.
Three of the defendants, Majeed, Ishfaq and Lawrence, were also involved in a separate conspiracy linked to the importation of nearly 900kg of cocaine by sea.
On the morning of 8 July 2024, a rigid hulled inflatable boat (RHIB) was used to transport cocaine into Southampton.
While a significant quantity was seized by police, Majeed, Ishfaq and Lawrence were involved in receiving 250kgof cocaine from another member of the organised crime group later that day.
In total, officers recovered around 150kg of cocaine from a van linked to the operation
489kg of cocaine from the RHIB itself
Ali was not involved in the Southampton importation but played a key role in the wider supply network.
