Drug dealers jailed after police patrol in Valley Gardens swoops in on county lines activity in Harrogate

Ishmaal Mahmood, 25, of Stonegate Chase, Harehills, Leeds, and Ifaaq Mahmood, 28, of Leeds at the time, both pleaded guilty to possessing cocaine with intent to supply and possessing MDMA with intent to supply.

Ishmaal was jailed for three years and four months and Ifaaq was jailed for one year and eight months.

In 2020, Ishmaal was previously sentenced to seven months in jail for possessing a knife linked to the same incident.

In October 2020, plain clothed officers from North Yorkshire Police’s proactive ‘county lines’ team known as Operation Expedite, were on patrol in Valley Gardens in Harrogate when they came across the pair in a Volkswagen Jetta parked on Valley Drive.

Ifaaq Mahmood appeared to try and delete messages from the phone he was using as officers tried to speak with him.

Both were detained for a search under the Misuse Drugs Act after they gave implausible and inconsistent reasons for being in Harrogate.

Ishmaal Mahmood said to one of the officers “I’ve got a knife on me” and was found to be in possession of a curved hunting knife.

Upon searching the vehicle, a blue latex glove containing multiple snap bags containing white and brown powder, believed to be cocaine and MDMA, were recovered.

Both were arrested on suspicion of possession with intent to supply class A drugs.

Ishmaal was also arrested for possession of the knife.

Addresses linked to both were searched and at the address of Ishmaal officers found a small amount of cannabis, further weapons and a large amount of deal bags.

Drug analysis on the suspected class A drugs seized from the vehicle confirmed the drugs as 32 individual wraps including 28 cocaine and 4 MDMA.

This has a street value of approximately £1,500.

Forensic analysis of the drugs and phone analysis ultimately linked both men to the supply of cocaine and MDMA in the Harrogate area.

It also showed that Ishmaal was on occasion, acting as a recruiter and was trying to set up his own drug line.

The pair were sentenced for the drug offences at York Crown Court on June 12, 2023.

Investigating officer, PC Michael Haydock from the Operation Expedite team, said: “Ishmaal and Ifaaq Mahmood were working together for a County Line with the sole objective of selling highly dangerous and addictive drugs on the streets of Harrogate.

“They have done this freely and for their own gain, without the slightest bit of thought or consideration for the wider implications of their actions.

“Furthermore, they were on our streets in possession of a knife which had the potential to cause devastating injuries or worse.

"There is no place for this and both have received all that they deserve.

"Hopefully the pair have now seen the error of their ways and similarly, anyone who believes they can commit drug crime in North Yorkshire can expect to face the consequences.”