SEVEN men have been convicted of being part of a “successful and lucrative” Newport drugs gang supplying heroin and crack cocaine to drug addicts in the city and throughout South Wales.

Aftab Hussain, 31, of Laburnum Drive, Newport, and Lewis Farrell, 21, of Herbert Walk, Pill, Newport, were found guilty of conspiracy to supply class A drugs between November 1, 2018 and July 26, 2019 after a six-week trial.

MORE NEWS

Five other men – Parvis Ishaq, aged 30, of Cyril Street, Murtaza Hussain, aged 23, of Capel Crescent, Avatar Hussain, aged 26, of Bishpool View, Rizwaan Hussain, aged 23, of Llanthewy Road, all Newport, and Mohammed Ali, aged 38, of no fixed abode – pleaded guilty to the same charges during the early stages of the trial.

Two men have been acquitted. Jacob Jones, 25, of Clarence Place, Newport, and Hassan Farooq, 34, of Cyril Street, Newport, were found not guilty by the jury of conspiracy to supply heroin and crack cocaine.

Three other men – Emile Jones, 31, of East Usk Road, Newport, Erfan Kamber, 34, of Corporation Road, Newport, and Varinder Sanghera, 40, of Queen Street, Pontrhydyfen, Neath Port Talbot – remain on trial after they denied the same alleged offences.

The jury are due to continue their deliberations in relation to the remaining trio of defendants at Cardiff Crown Court this morning.

Prosecutor Heath Edwards claimed to the jury of eight men and four women at the start of the trial: “All the defendants worked together as part of a conspiracy to supply heroin and crack cocaine to drug addicts in Newport and beyond.

“Each defendant assisted in a different way. It was a successful and lucrative business."

Judge Richard Twomlow has presided over the trial.