A drugs trafficker who admitted posting dozens of packages of Class A drugs around the world as part of a global dark web organised crime group has been jailed for nine years.
Mubinar Rahman, 26, is believed to have posted over 104 packages of MDMA to global destinations.
NCA investigators searched his home in Henry Nelson Street, South Shields, and found receipts for the parcels being sent with a combined weight of 157kg.
Between 29 June and 27 July 2020 the NCA and Border Force intercepted 39 packages from Rahman.
The recovered packages were destined for addresses in the UK, America, Israel, Norway, Thailand, Hong Kong and Kuala Lumpur.
Rahman – who has previous convictions for dealing drugs – appeared at Newcastle Crown Court in October 2020 and admitted trafficking drugs and possession of Class A with intent to supply.
Today, he returned to court and was jailed for nine years with a discount for pleading guilty. He would have been sentenced to 12 years after a trial.
On 28 July 2020 NCA officers watched Rahman park his 2010 BMW outside a flat in Marlborough Court, Washington, Tyne and Wear.
He entered the flat and was arrested when he came out.
Inside the car were 10 parcels addressed to international recipients.
Officers searched the flat and recovered 25kg of MDMA, 134kgs of amphetamine sulphate, drug packaging equipment, heat-sealing and vacuum packing equipment and a label printer and laptop.
Rahman declined to answer questions in his custody interview.
Analysis of messages shared on EncroChat – the encrypted comms platform taken down as part of UK law enforcement’s Operation Venetic – helped officers to identify other suspects involved in the dark web drugs network.
Two men were arrested in April 2021 on suspicion of importing and supplying Class A, B and C drugs. They have been charged and will appear in court in April.
Two other men are wanted as part of the investigation and are believed to be on the run.
In total, the investigation resulted in seizures of 90kg of MDMA, 134kg of amphetamine and more than 6,000 diazepam/alprazolam tablets with a combined street value of £4.3m.
The NCA investigation was supported by the US Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).
NCA Branch Commander Martin Clarke said: “Rahman was working for a well-established criminal network which exploited the fast parcel system to move illegal drugs.
“Working with key partners at home such as Border Force, and abroad with HSI, we have removed a significant amount of Class A from circulation and denied Rahman’s organised crime group the chance to plough profits from those drugs into more criminality.
“We are determined to do all we can to disrupt all drugs supply routes in and out of the UK.”
Tim Hemker, attache at the US Homeland Security Investigations, said: “Homeland Security Investigations is proud of our strong partnership with the National Crime Agency.
“Today’s sentencing is the result of our agencies’ exemplary collaboration to hold criminals on the dark web accountable for illegally selling and shipping narcotics overseas and putting countless individuals in danger.
“We will continue to work together to keep drugs off our streets and our communities safe.”
18 March 2022
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