THREE members of an organised crime ring have been convicted of their roles in the supply of drugs after £1.3million of heroin was found stitched into clothing in a suitcase at Manchester Airport.

During the six week trial, Preston Crown Court heard Manier Hussain, 45, was ‘effectively the head of the organised crime network’ which was flooding the streets of Blackburn with class A drugs throughout 2016 and 2017.

Ali Akhbar Hussain, 35, worked as a street dealer, and Terrence Killeya, 80, was recruited as their driver.

Officers from Lancashire Police cracked the drugs ring after an undercover operation found ‘significant levels of street dealing in Blackburn’, the court heard.

In February 2016 a suitcase containing 24kg of heroin was found at Manchester Airport.

A fourth man, Liaquat Ali, was arrested at the airport and later pleaded guilty to drugs trafficking.

Investigations revealed Manier Hussain, of Lance Close, Liverpool, was in contact with Ali in the weeks before he caught his flight to Pakistan.

Robert Golinski, prosecuting, said: “Manier Hussain’s position as the head of these conspiracies is reinforced by his close links to a significant importation of heroin from Pakistan.”

However the jury found him not guilty of a charge of importing heroin.

Ali Akhbar Hussain, of Warrington Street, Blackburn, and Terrence Killeya, of Broadfield Terrace, Oswaldtwistle, were caught in an undercover sting by Lancashire police.

Mr Golinski said: “The defendants in this trial played a variety of roles within the network from those at the top, directing street dealing and involved in the importation of a significant quantity of heroin and the distribution of class A drugs to street dealers, to those at the bottom, drug users and others in Blackburn recruited into street dealing and assisting the dealers.”

All three defendants have been remanded in custody and will return to court at a date yet to be confirmed to be sentenced.