FIVE members of a Newport drugs gang made more than £450,000 after flooding the streets of Gwent and South Wales with heroin and crack cocaine.
They were back before a judge for a Proceeds of Crime Act hearing which was told they have just a total of £6,929 left to be seized.
Last year they were sent to prison at Cardiff Crown Court for combined terms of nearly 50 years.
Nuhu Gobir, prosecuting, told the POCA proceedings before Judge Richard Williams:
Aftab Hussain
Aftab Hussain, 32, of Laburnum Drive, Newport, jailed for 17 years, benefited by £261,660 and has £335 available to be recovered.
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Parvis Ishaq
Parvis Ishaq, 31, of Cyril Street, Newport, jailed for 10 years, benefited by £50,000 and has £590 to be recovered.
Murtaza Hussain
Murtaza Hussain, 25, of Capel Crescent, Newport, jailed for eight years and nine months, benefited by £50,000 and has £5,833 available to be recovered.
Avtar Hussain
Avtar Hussain, 27, of Bishpool View, Newport, jailed for seven years, benefited by £50,000 and has £170 available to be recovered.
Rizwaan Hussain
Rizwaan Hussain, 25, of Llanthewy Road, Newport, jailed for six years and eight months, benefited by £50,000 and has just £1 available to be recovered.
The five were convicted of conspiracy to supply heroin and crack cocaine between November 2018 and July 2019.
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Last year, prosecutor Heath Edwards told how the defendants used a central pay-as-you-go mobile phone line to meet the needs of drug addicts.
He said “text bombs or flares” were used to advertise class A drugs for sale to existing clients.
Customers from all over South Wales would call this number, known as the ‘Goshi’ line, and place orders for heroin and crack cocaine before they would meet a “runner” who would deliver the merchandise in return for cash in Newport city centre.
Mr Edwards said the number was contacted on average 234 times a day over a nine-month period.
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