Gang members from Barking, Newbury Park, Silvertown and Upton Park have been jailed for a combined 18 years for their involvement in supplying Class A drugs into south Essex.

The group, known as the Mali Boys, included 20-year-old Brian William of Park Avenue in Barking, 19-year-old Munta Hoque of Lyndhurst Gardens in Newbury Park, 20-year-old Azman Ahamad of Constance Street in Silvertown and 21-year-old Oussema Oubari of Lucas Avenue in Upton Park.

Hashi Abdi, 27, of Gresley Close in Leicester, completed the quintet.

William, Hoque, Ahamad and Abdi were all charged with conspiracy or being concerned in the acquisition, retention, use or control of criminal property and conspiracy to supply Class A drugs, heroin and crack cocaine.

Oubari was charged with conspiracy to supply the Class A drug crack cocaine.

Sentencing the group at Basildon Crown Court on Friday - November 19 - Her Honour Judge Samantha Cohen praised the work undertaken by Essex Police’s Detective Constable Dan Brand during Operation Raptor South.

On September 9 last year, officers stopped a silver Ford Focus travelling to Southend on the A127 at Dawes Heath Road in Essex.

As a marked police car blocked the Focus, officers from another vehicle ran towards the car and saw a man throw a bag of Class A drug wraps into the central reservation.

Ahamad left the car and ran from officers but was caught.

Three others were detained in the car and a large amount of Class A drugs were recovered.

After liaising with the Metropolitan Police Service, a warrant was executed in Norwich Crescent, Chadwell Heath.

The warrant saw Hashu Abdi arrested and £3,470 in cash seized, alongside seven mobile phones and just under 3,000 bottles of prescription medication which was being used to mix with the drugs.

A second warrant was executed nearby at an address linked to Abdi, in Oak Street, Romford, where more drugs were found.

All denied the charges but were found guilty by a jury after a two-week trial.

At Friday's sentencing hearing, Abdi was jailed for a total of five years and one month, Ahamad was jailed for two years and seven months, William and Hoque for three years and six months and Oubari for three years and three months.