TWO more drug dealers have been removed from the streets as a result of a large-scale police operation to target organised gangs peddling heroin, crack cocaine, and cannabis in Keighley and in Skipton. 

Patrick Haughey, 36, of Woodhouse Drive, Keighley, and Callum Rudden, 25, of Rombalds Drive, Skipton, have been jailed for 40 months and 33 months respectively for their roles in two separate drug lines.

Theirs are the latest jail sentences meted out to a string of drug pushers over the last three months.

More dealers are in the system and will be sentenced in the coming weeks.

Both men were snared as part of Operation Saintpond after selling cocaine to undercover police officers posing as users.

Haughey pleaded guilty to two counts of supplying cocaine, and one count of possessing cocaine with intent to supply, all in Keighley, between September 28 and October 12 last year.

Rudden pleaded guilty to two counts of supplying cocaine and two counts of being concerned in the supply of cocaine between September 22 and October 20 last year at Skipton.

Both men were said to have opted to deal drugs to pay off existing debts associated with their own habits.

Sentencing Haughey, His Honour Judge Colin Burn said he “undoubtedly played a significant role” in the dealing taking place in that he was both taking orders and delivering the drugs to customers.

He described his actions as “making your contribution to the adverse effect on the community of your drug-dealing” and that he had encouraged his customers – the undercover officers – to share his number with other users.

Sentencing Rudden, Judge Burn said whilst he may have embarked on drug-dealing to fund his own habit he was “well into the scene” by the time the undercover officers were buying from him.

When he was not able to supply drugs himself, he had “a network of associates” to assist him. In that respect, he was operating his own drugs line – taking orders and then supplying to them.

In both cases, Judge Burn ordered the forfeiture and destruction of the drugs seized by the police as well as drugs paraphernalia.

The success of the police’s crackdown on drug dealing in Keighley and beyond has resulted in a number of convictions.

Among those locked up:

Nozmul Alom, 23, of Nightingale Street, Keighley – jailed for two years and eight months

Sohail Hayat, 29, of Spencer Street, Keighley – jailed for four-and-a-half years

Dawud Hussain, 25, of Victoria Mews, Keighley – jailed for four years and four months

Zaffar Iqbal, 54, of Granville Street, Keighley – jailed for four-and-a-half years

Daniel Lakatos, 20, of Sand Street, Keighley – jailed for four years and nine months

Ali Mughal, 22, of Cliffe Street, Keighley – jailed for four years

Hassan Rashid, 32, of Ashleigh Street, Keighley – jailed for four years and three months

Farakh Yasin, 25, of Devonshire Street, Keighley – jailed for four years

Operation Sharkview involved raids on properties in Keighley and Skipton during April and May as officers smashed a widespread county lines scheme in West and North Yorkshire.

More than 60 people were arrested with police recovering more than £100,000 in cash and more than 3kg of cannabis, cocaine, and heroin.

The 18-month-long investigation was led by Bradford’s Precision Team, which worked with the Yorkshire and Humber Regional Organised Crime Unit, West Yorkshire Police’s Specialist Support Group, North Yorkshire Police, and the local Keighley Neighbourhood Policing Team.

Operation Saintpond has seen a further crackdown targeting drug dealing in Keighley town centre as well as in Skipton.

It has resulted in a successful series of arrests after street dealers and drug runners sold Class A and B drugs – including heroin, crack cocaine, and cannabis – to undercover police officers posing as users.

The deals, captured on hidden cameras, have resulted in multiple individuals taken off the streets and into custody.

Inspector John Barker, who heads Keighley Neighbourhood Policing Team, has previously spoken of the escalating public order and criminal damage incidents that have taken place and which have been linked to organised crime gangs and drug supply within the Keighley area within the last two years.

In a community impact statement presented to the court, he said: “The incidents are significantly impacting local residents, leaving them feeling both intimidated and fearful.

“Residents often call on the police to do more and deal with the level of criminality that they’re witnessing within their local community, much of which is related to retaliatory, intimidatory, and ultimately violent behaviour associated with the organised supply of Class A drugs within Keighley.”