Drug dealer's 'sneaky' hiding place for handgun after flat raid near Birmingham city centre
A 'sneaky' drug dealer who kept cocaine and a handgun stashed in a jewellery box has been jailed, police say.
Lorenc Lika, aged 41, was arrested after West Midlands Police officers raided a flat located on Bell Barn Road, in the Westside area of Birmingham, near the city centre.
Officers, including those from the force's Regional Organised Crime Unit (ROCU), targeted the address with a warrant on February 25 after acting on information.
READ MORE: M6 lorries slashed open at Midland service station
Get breaking news on BirminghamLive WhatsApp, click the link to join
Inside, they unearthed a drug factory with a range of equipment used for the illegal production process.
Cocaine was also found, including some concealed behind a panel, alongside a handgun and ammunition.
West Midlands Police said that officers had found Class A drugs and a handgun hidden inside a jewellery box.
Lika, also of Bell Barn Road, was arrested at the address.
He later admitted possession of a firearm, ammunition and having Class A drugs with intent to supply.
He was jailed for eight years and nine months at Birmingham Crown Court on Thursday (April 24).
A spokesperson for West Midlands Police said: "A dealer has been jailed after we seized Class A drugs and a handgun which was hidden inside a jewellery box.
"Officers from West Midlands Police and Regional Organised Crime Unit (ROCU) acted on information and carried out a raid near Birmingham city centre.
"We unearthed a drugs factory, with a range of equipment used for the illegal production process, inside the flat in Bell Barn Road.
"We also found cocaine, which included some concealed behind a panel, along with the gun and ammunition.
"Lorenc Lika was arrested from the address as we executed the warrant on 25 February this year.
"The 41-year-old, of Bell Barn Road, admitted possession of a firearm, ammunition and having Class A drugs with intent to supply.
"He was jailed for eight years and nine months at Birmingham Crown Court on Thursday (24 April).
"We're continually working to take guns and drugs off the streets, and tackle organised crime, as part of Operation Target."
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
Bull spotted loose on streets of Birmingham
A bull has been seen on the loose on the streets of Birmingham. West Midlands Police said officers were made aware of it in the road near New Bond Street, in the Digbeth area, at about 09:30 BST on Friday. The force added that it was working with Birmingham City Council to ensure the animal was taken to a safe location. It is so far unclear where the bull came from. A video shared on a Birmingham Facebook group, shows the animal running in the road and on to a path, with a police officer near by. Posting online, people called for the bull to be rescued and protected. Birmingham has been associated with bulls ever since the practice of bull-baiting arose in the 16th Century, with Ozzy the bull a mascot at the city's 2022 Commonwealth Games and the bullring shopping centre an iconic landmark. Follow BBC Birmingham on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
Yahoo
6 hours ago
- Yahoo
Man jailed after shots fired at trio fleeing car
A man has been jailed for more than eight years for his part in a Birmingham shooting in which three men were targeted as they fled their rammed car. Kasim Ali was one of four men in a Mitsubishi Shogun which rammed a black VW Golf into another car on Trinity Road, Aston, during the evening of 2 October. Three men inside the Golf fled on foot towards Birchfield Road while another man from the Shogun fired at them. Ali, 24, from the Handsworth area of the city, was sentenced at Birmingham Crown Court on Tuesday after admitting possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life at an earlier hearing. West Midlands Police said the area was particularly busy at the time of the shooting due to fans leaving Aston Villa's Champions League fixture against Bayern Munich. Ali used the handle of a so-called Rambo knife to smash the Golf's windscreen, the force said. For that act, Ali also pleaded guilty to possession of a bladed article and received 12 months' imprisonment concurrent to his sentence of eight years and four months for his firearms offence. Police said Ali fled the country shortly after the shooting, but forensic tests linked him to the scene and he was arrested when he returned to the UK. The motive for the attack remained unknown and inquiries continued to identify the other occupants of the Shogun, including the gunman, police stated. Follow BBC Birmingham on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram. West Midlands Police
Epoch Times
2 days ago
- Epoch Times
Gang Leaders to Face 10 Years in Jail for Forcing Children to Conceal Drugs
Gang leaders who force vulnerable people—including children—to hide drugs or cash in their bodies will face up to 10 years in prison, as part of a bill currently going through Parliament. The Home Office confirmed on Tuesday that the new criminal offence of 'coerced internal concealment' is being introduced to the Crime and Policing Bill. It will target a practice which involves people hiding items in their bodies to avoid detection when transporting goods from one location to another. Known by its street names as 'plugging,' 'stuffing,' or 'banking,' the method is typically employed by organised gangs to transport drugs, money, and sim cards, either by swallowing the items or hiding them inside of their bodies. This is often connected to County Lines drug operations, with estimates suggesting that tens of thousands of children are involved. 'Truly Evil' Internal concealment of foreign objects can be dangerous and even fatal, particularly if drug packages split open when inside the body. Announcing the measures on Tuesday, safeguarding minister Jess Phillips said the new offence will go alongside other measures in the bill 'to turn the tables on gang leaders and hold them to account for exploiting children and vulnerable adults.' Related Stories 12/6/2024 3/15/2024 Phillips said, 'There is something truly evil about the gang leaders who degrade young girls, young boys and vulnerable adults in this way, forcing them to put their lives at risk.' Safeguarding minister Jess Phillips during her visit to the West Midlands Police control room in Birmingham, England, on Feb. 19, 2025. Joe Giddens/PA Wire 'As part of our Plan for Change, this government will give police and prosecutors the powers they need to dismantle these drug gangs entirely and secure convictions that reflect the severity of these crimes,' she added. County Lines County Lines are drug dealing networks, named for the mobile phone lines used to coordinate the drug sales often across county boundaries. They are run by 'Line Holders' who coordinate 'runners' to deliver drugs. Often, these runners are children and vulnerable adults, such as those with mental health problems or addictions. The Children's Society In order to break down the organised crime group peddling drugs and exploiting children, the government has invested £42 million this year into the County Lines Programme. The latest statistics from the programme show that since July 2024, police have shut down 1,225 lines and arrested 2,038 people, resulting in the charging of over 800 violent offenders. There were also 2,192 safeguarding referrals for vulnerable people and children. Cuckooing Another form of criminal exploitation associated with County Lines is 'cuckooing,' where drug dealers take over the homes of vulnerable people, such as drug addicts, the mentally ill, single parents, and even the elderly. Drug dealers will accommodate their runners at these properties because they are less conspicuous than using their own homes or hotels. The National Police Chiefs' Council (NPCC) says that while use of the properties may start out as consensual, like in cases where the resident is an addict, arrangements can 'quickly sour' and gang members may use violence to occupy the property. Last year's raids saw police forces visit 853 addresses used by drug dealers for cuckooing. File photo of British police officers dated Oct. 22, 2014. Joe Giddens/PA Wire County Lines are not limited to the drugs trade. Following a major operation in December 2024 which resulted in the arrest of 1,600 people, officers confiscated firearms and bladed weapons, which NPCC County Lines lead Commander Paul Brogden County Lines Evolving County Lines have typically been associated with drug running from cities to suburban and rural areas, but researchers and law enforcement say that the structure of these networks is changing. According to researchers from the universities of York, Liverpool, and Leeds, the term 'County Lines' is now outdated, because drug distribution has also evolved to encompass the local drug supply rather than the solely 'out-of-town' drug supply system originally considered typical of this form of organised crime. Researchers said in May that as both types of drugs networks involve the exploitation of the young and vulnerable, 'criminal exploitation' should be considered the defining characteristic of this crime and the focus of investigating officers across the UK. The NPCC said in November last year that it has also observed that County Lines are becoming more localised, with fewer lines running across police force jurisdictions. They found that external lines operating across force boundaries have reduced by 12.2 percent, while internal lines which start and end within the jurisdiction of one police force have increased by 232 percent, year-on-year.
