An Accrington-based gang whose members were caught dealing heroin, cocaine and cannabis to an undercover police officer have been locked up for more than 28 years in total.

Eight men were jailed and a further three received suspended jail terms following the six-month police intelligence operation last year involving around 70 police officers.

Burnley Crown Court heard how gang ringleader Amar Amin, 33, pressurised some of his fellow defendants into doing drugs, and controlled dealer phones.

Amar Amin, of Tremellen Street, Accrington, had started out as a ‘runner’ but when he was arrested had graduated to a position where he controlled people at his command.

An investigation found thousands of calls and texts from his dealer phones and in May 2013 one customer was found with £50,000 of class A drugs.

Amar Amin was jailed for seven years and four months.

The court heard how the father-of-one ‘controlled’ main street dealers Paul Birtwell, Zebo Burgess, Daniel Scholes, Daniel Jackson, Fahzeer Hussain and Daniel Ryder.

Birtwell, 22, of Meadow Street, Accrington, was one of the ‘top end’ street dealers and involved in nine deals with the undercover officer ‘Barnsey’.

He was jailed for three years and four months.

Burgess, 23, of Nuttall Street, Accrington, was involved between August and October 2013 and ‘drove round’ Amar Amin in his own car to street deals.

The court heard how he was also seen dealing drugs from his car on two occasions and continued to be involved only a week after his house was searched and equipment seized in September 2013.On one day in October 2013 he had received 94 calls or texts from Amar Amin.

The court was told that he got involved in the conspiracy to pay off a £2,500 debt to Amar Amin after a car accident.

Burgess was jailed for three years.

Furniture maker Jackson, 23, of West Street, Padiham, supplied to Barnsey three times between June 18 and July 9. He sent a text to Amar Amin on June 2 saying ‘Listen, I need to graft. I have no choice. It’s completely up to you. I will work whenever’.

He was jailed for three years with 117 curfew days to count towards the sentence.

Scholes, 23, of Marlborough Road, Accrington, supplied drugs to Barnsey on three occasions in July 2013 and there were numerous calls on one day between himself and Amar Amin.

He was jailed for two years, suspended for two years with a 12-month supervision order and six-month drug rehabilitation order.

Hussain, 30, of Whalley Street, Burnley, was involved for two days at the start of December 2013.

The court heard how, when he was arrested, officers found two phones on him with one text asking him to ‘bring a line’.

He was jailed for three months.

Amar Amin, Birtwell, Burgess, Scholes, Jackson and Hussain all pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply class A drugs.

Ryder, 22, of Clegg Street, Accrington, was involved in the conspiracy for seven days over a four-week period as a ‘dealer/runner’ and supplied to Barnsey on six occasions.

Police also observed ‘suspicious’ activity at his house and on one day he received 68 calls and texts from Amar Amin.

The father-of-two was also found at a 360-plant cannabis farm at a building in Colne, the court heard.

He pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply class A and class B drugs and was jailed for four years.

Amar Amin’s brother Qasar Amin, 29, of Tremellen Street, Accrington, started as a cannabis dealer in May 2013 but when his accomplice was arrested two months later he ‘took over the running’ of that operation.

Qasar Amin used both class A and B drugs, the court heard, costing him £750 per week and his motivation was to feed his ‘prolific habit’.

He pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply class B drugs and was jailed for two years and eight months.

Daniel Flood, 26, of Lodge Street, Accrington, admitted to being part of a separate drugs conspiracy operating in Accrington but was seen to be in contact with Amar Amin and Qasar Amin.

The court heard how he was involved in the supply of cocaine through messages found on his phone.

Between January and September 2013 he was involved in storing and supplying class A drugs.

He pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply class A drugs and was jailed for four years and six months.

A further two defendants were given suspended jail terms for their involvement.

Mohammed Amin, 29, of Steiner Street, Accrington, became involved in selling cannabis on the streets over a three-week period to pay off a debt.

The court heard how he was sent text messages from dealers directing him where to go.

He pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply class B drugs and was jailed for eight months, suspended for two years with a 12-month supervision requirement.

John Lavery, 37, of Woodside Road, Accrington, pleaded guilty to supplying class A drugs and breaching a suspended sentence order after meeting Barnsey in Accrington and providing him with a £10 wrap of heroin in May last year.

He was jailed for three months, suspended for 12 months.

Proceeds of Crime hearings will be held for Amar Amin, Flood, Mohammed Amin and Burgess at Burnley Crown Court on December 5.