A Manchester-based organised criminal gang (OCG) have been jailed for nearly 85 years after attacking a rival OCG in Burnley during which three men were seriously injured. Operation Coolant has seen police officers disrupting OCG activity throughout the east of the county by acting on intelligence to target properties and individuals linked to cannabis cultivation and taxing’s and seize the cannabis crop and weapons before rival groups can get to them.
The latest shootings centred around a £220,000 cannabis farm in Salus Street, Burnley, which the rival gang from Greater Manchester wanted to ‘tax’. Two people suffered gunshot injuries and one man suffered a serious head wound after a number of individuals were seen attacking him with weapons. During the fracas vehicles were also rammed. A car was later set alight in an attempt to destroy evidence.
Shortly afterwards an ambulance was called to a nearby address after a report of a man with a head wound. The man, 31, was taken to hospital and although his injuries were serious, they were not life-threatening.
At just after 1.15am the police were called to Burnley General Hospital where a 39-year-old man was being treated for a gunshot wound to his leg. The injury was also not life-threatening. At 4.30am they were then called to reports that a silver BMW estate car had been found burnt out on Melville Street.
A police investigation discovered that Besim Zeka, Elion Gllava, Andon Bita and Ibrahim Beldie had travelled from Oldham and South Manchester in three vehicles, including a silver BMW 3 Series, on the evening of February 3 after receiving information that their cannabis farm was about to be ‘taxed’ by a rival Burnley-based crime gang.
Arriving around 11.50pm the vehicles drove around the Salus Street area for 30-minutes as they lay in wait for the Burnley-based gang to begin their attack. CCTV footage obtained showed people carrying weapons, including, sticks and saws, as well as cars belonging to members of the Manchester gang ramming other vehicles. Residents also described hearing gunshots.
One member of the Burnley gang suffered a gunshot wound to the leg after a member of the Manchester gang fired a gun as he tried to flee the scene. A bullet fragment, recovered from the scene, contained DNA from a second member of the Burnley gang – suggesting he had also been shot, as he tried to flee the scene.
A third member of the Burnley gang suffered a significant headwound after being attacked with a machete-type weapon. None of those injuries were life-threatening and all three injured men and other members of the Burnley-based gang have since been arrested.
On 13th July 2021 Lancashire Police and Greater Manchester Police worked together in order to execute 18 simultaneous warrants, where the defendants were subsequently arrested.
Following a trial at Preston Crown Court five of the defendants were found guilty of criminal activity undertaken on behalf of the Manchester-based OCG.
Besim Zeka (30/10/1990), of Burder Street, Oldham – found guilty of conspiracy to cause grievous bodily harm with intent, conspiracy to possess a firearm with intent to endanger life, and conspiracy to supply a controlled drug of Class B. Jailed for 17 years.
Elion Gllava (13/10/95), of Hollins Road, Oldham – found guilty of conspiracy to cause grievous bodily harm with intent, conspiracy to possess a firearm with intent to endanger life, and conspiracy to supply a controlled drug of Class B. Jailed for 19 and a half years.
Ibrahim Beldie (16/11/89), of Hollins Road, Oldham – found guilty of conspiracy to cause grievous bodily harm with intent, conspiracy to possess a firearm with intent to endanger life, and conspiracy to supply a controlled drug of Class B. Jailed for 17 years.
Andon Bita (6/5/75), of Ellen Wilkinson Crescent, Manchester – found guilty of conspiracy to cause grievous bodily harm with intent, conspiracy to possess a firearm with intent to endanger life, and conspiracy to supply a controlled drug of Class B and conspiracy to possess criminal property. Jailed for 17 years.
Mazar Shah (03/01/82), of Alms Hill Road, Cheetham Hill, Manchester – found guilty of assisting an offender. He pleaded guilty to perverting the course of justice, which included the arson. Jailed for 3 years.
The below individuals pleaded guilty part way through the trial.
Gulam Rauf (12/6/83), of Hartley Avenue, Prestwich – perverting the course of justice, which included the arson. Jailed for 27 years.
Murtaza Ahmed (22/11/83), of Berry Street, Brierfield – conspiracy to supply a controlled drug of Class B and conspiracy to possess criminal property. Jailed for 4 and a half years.
Andreas Zekaqis (1/5/91), of Acacia Road, Oldham – conspiracy to supply a controlled drug of Class B and conspiracy to possess criminal property. Jailed for 4 and a half years.
Passing sentence, Judge Philip Parry commended the outstanding quality of our investigation, individually commending all the officers involved by name.
“This case highlights the sheer levels of violence associated with cannabis cultivation and the extreme lengths OCGs are prepared to go to in order to protect their commodity. It is more through luck than judgement that nobody was killed or an innocent bystander wasn’t seriously hurt.”
Det Supt Nick Connaughton
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