UK: Why was a woman gang member sentenced to 21 years for heroin smuggling from Pakistan?
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London, Dec 24 (NationPress) A woman has received a prison sentence of 21 years and six months in the United Kingdom after officers from the National Crime Agency (NCA) discovered 85 kilogrammes of heroin from Pakistan in her residence.
As reported by the NCA, Sidrah Nosheen (34) was a member of an Organised Crime Group (OCG) responsible for smuggling heroin from Pakistan to the UK and distributing it across the nation. Her role in this organization was significant.
Initially scheduled to face trial at Bradford Crown Court, Nosheen changed her plea, admitting to conspiracy to supply and import heroin. She received her sentence on Tuesday.
The NCA's statement noted, "Heroin hidden in clothing such as leather jackets was sent to Nosheen's home on Woodside Road, Wyke, Bradford, where she would remove it and package it into 1kg bags for distribution."
"Upon her arrest in June 2024, officers found that her back bedroom had been transformed into a heroin processing facility. They uncovered 85kg of this Class A drug in various bags, alongside a wallpaper pasting table, scales, buckets, and tools," it stated.
Additionally, boxes of plastic-wrapped clothing awaiting processing and remnants of previously processed boxes were found in her home. Phone records revealed communications with an accomplice in Pakistan regarding heroin distribution in the UK. Evidence showed she supplied multi-kilo drug consignments and once collected £250,000 for the OCG from a criminal in Bradford.
NCA senior investigating officer Rick MacKenzie commented, "From an outsider's perspective, Sidrah Nosheen appeared to lead an unremarkable life in Bradford. The reality, however, is that she was integral to a scheme that moved significant quantities of heroin nationwide, contributing to the addiction and fatalities tied to the Class A drugs trade."
"She showed no regard for the societal harm caused by heroin; her only concern was profit. The NCA is dedicated to safeguarding the public from the dangers posed by Class A drugs both at home and internationally," MacKenzie concluded.