Two drug-dealing brothers from Bedford have been jailed for almost nine years after drugs and cash worth £30,000 were seized from one of their homes.

Shabaz Miah, 29 and Shazad Miah, 28, were arrested by Bedfordshire Police during a warrant at Shabaz’s home address in January.

Police had received reports both brothers were involved in an organised crime group dealing both cocaine and heroin.

There were also suggestions they were using children as drug runners and would threaten these children with violence if they failed to help sell their products.

During the search, officers found bundles of cash worth £20,0000 and large amounts of cocaine, heroin, and cannabis worth up to £10,000, and other items associated with drug dealing such as burner-style phones.

Text message exchanges from one of the phones retrieved shows Shazad texting a buyer ‘3pm g im live’, which a drugs expert interpreted as meaning the phone is ready to supply drugs, further implicating Shazad.

Miah and Miah, both of Oldfield Road, Bedford, pleaded guilty to six drug dealing offences covering the supply of cocaine, heroin and cannabis, as well as possession of criminal property.

Both were yesterday (Friday) handed four-year jail terms for drug offences at Luton Crown Court.

Shazad was given an additional nine-month sentence in connection to an unrelated affray in Peterborough.

Detective Constable Adam Geary from Bedfordshire Police’s Boson guns and gangs unit, who investigated the case, said: “Both men were found in possession of large amounts of drugs and cash, which evidently showed their part in a large-scale drug supply enterprise.

“The fact these two men involved children in their criminal enterprise shows the ruthless lengths these gangs will go to, putting young people at risk of serious harm in order to line their own pockets.

“This is the latest in a line of recent successes we have had in tackling serious and organised crime in Bedfordshire, and our teams will relentlessly pursue and disrupt those who practice this criminal line of work.”

For more information about organised crime in Bedfordshire, the signs to spot and where to report concerns, visit Bedfordshire Police’s website.