Five men charged with drug supply and modern slavery offences

Five men have been charged with drug supply and modern slavery offences following a series of arrest warrants in Stoke-on-Trent yesterday (26 February).

Muazzam Naseer, 22, of Grove Place, Stoke-on-Trent, has been charged with conspiracy to supply a Class A controlled drug – cocaine, conspiracy to supply a Class A controlled drug – heroin, two counts of require a person to perform forced or compulsory labour and two counts of arrange or facilitate travel of another person with a view to exploitation.

Haroon Hussain, 26, of Havelock Place, Stoke-on-Trent, Qasim Rafi, 29, of Sun Street, Stoke-on-Trent and Lee Comley, 46, of Heaton Terrace, Newcastle, have been charged with conspiracy to supply a Class A controlled drug – cocaine, conspiracy to supply a Class A controlled drug – heroin, require a person to perform forced or compulsory labour and arrange or facilitate travel of another person with a view to exploitation.

Paul Harnett, 42, of Penstock Drive, Stoke-on-Trent, been charged with conspiracy to supply a Class A controlled drug – cocaine and conspiracy to supply a Class A controlled drug – heroin.

All will appear at the North Staffordshire Justice Centre tomorrow morning (Friday 28 February).

A further three men, aged 22, 27 and 28, from Stoke-on-Trent, have been released on bail pending further enquiries.

Five people from Stoke-on-Trent were arrested today (Thursday 27 February) on suspicion of possession with intent to supply Class B drugs - a 17-year-old girl and a 41-year-old woman who remain in custody and a 23-year-old man, 31-year-old man and a 41-year-old woman who have been released under investigation pending further enquiries.