The evil on our streets

COVERT footage which landed six of Swindon's most prolific heroin dealers in jail paints a shocking picture of drug use in the town.

These pictures shot during a major undercover surveillance operation show heroin being sold in broad daylight, often in busy streets.

And they clearly illustrate the kind of activity which should be reported to the Evening Advertiser-backed Swindon Drugs Hotline.

Today's pushers are not to be found lurking in dark alleyways, but practice their trade in familiar locations, like Theatre Square and Cricklade Road.

In many cases, deals are struck under the noses of shoppers, or just yards from people's homes.

Heroin use in Swindon has been increasing faster than the regional average for several years.

The human cost of the problem was graphically brought home at the beginning of the year when 16-year-old Highworth girl Kate Walsh was found dead in a filthy squat in Manchester Road from a suspected heroin overdose.

But police believe they are slowly winning the battle against the pushers.

Last month, intelligence left on the hotline played a vital role in helping to jail two criminal cells responsible for selling much of the heroin on our streets.

But with those dealers in prison, police are warning that gangs from elsewhere will now be casting a greedy eye on Swindon.

And they are appealing for the public to use the hotline to help stop other dealers from getting a toehold here.

Detective Inspector Andy Deegan, of Swindon police, said: "Since these two gangs have been in custody, the supply of heroin in Swindon has fragmented, and there isn't a major supply network in place.

"But the problem is not going to go away, and there are people waiting in the wings to take their place.

"We want to keep these dealers at bay, and the hotline can help us do that.

"We want to hear about any suspicious activity linked to drug dealing.

"People often think that the information they are providing isn't going to help us much.

"But it might provide the final piece of the jigsaw we need to bring someone to court."

These pictures were taken from video footage shot between May and June last year, when undercover officers infiltrated Swindon's seedy heroin underworld.

Officers posed as addicts to buy drugs, using state-of-the- art surveillance tactics to catch dealers red handed.

Combining information gained by officers with intelligence from the hotline, a series of busts were carried out in July, which resulted in 16 arrests.

Of these, 12 offenders were jailed, two were issued with drug treatment and testing orders, one was sent to a young offenders' institution and one was given a community punishment order.

The key players behind the supply chain into Swindon were the two gangs, who acted separately and were both sentenced last month.

Detectives needed to build up a dossier of evidence which would show the courts just how prolific they were.

Police had been trying to nail the mastermind behind one gang Endad Rahman for four years.

Rahman, a 24-year-old father-of-one from Cricklade Road, Gorse Hill, was sent to prison for eight years.

His street dealers Nuno Gorgueira, 24, of Poplar Avenue, Pinehurst, and Abdul Karim, 28, from Solihull were both jailed for six years.

Earlier in the month another gang leader, Mosorof Ali, 24, was jailed for six years.

His two runners Iqbal Ahmed, 22, and Delroy McIntosh, 24, were jailed for five and four years respectively.

They all came from Birmingham, but sold heroin and crack in Swindon.

The police were already tailing the men, but a tip-off on the hotline led officers to an address in Plymouth Street, which they used as their Swindon base.

During the hearings at Swindon Crown Court, both gangs appeared before Judge John McNaught, who paid tribute to the bravery of officers who mounted the operation.

The police were also praised by David Cork, who runs Druglink, a rehabilitation charity in Victoria Road, Old Town, which provides a drop-service and runs clean-up courses.

He said: "I am full of praise for the police.

"In many ways, drug dealing is like any other business.

"Dealers will sell drugs at bargain prices to get people addicted in order to build up a market.

"That has a knock-on effect because on average an addict will spend £350 a week on heroin, and they usually resort to crime to fund their habits."

It is hoped that the operation will make a significant dent in the trade in Class A drugs.

When the Swindon Drugs Hotline was launched in June last year, police estimated that more than £50,000 worth of heroin and crack was being sold in the town every day to around 2,500 addicts.

l Drug squad officers want to hear from a man who called the hotline on February 25 to report suspicious activity in the Stratton area.

They believe the caller may be able to help them trace a dealer who has evaded them for 18-months.

The man is asked to call the hotline and leave his contact details.

Tamash Lal