Posted on the 22nd January 2026 in PHTM News

POTTERIES CABBIE AND ACCOMPLICE JAILED AFTER USING PHV AS FRONT FOR COUNTY LINES DRUG OPERATION

Two Stoke-on-Trent men who led double lives as “high-level dealers” have been jailed for more than seven years combined after police dismantled their cross-border drug network.

Tahir Darr (left), of Burslem, and Saeed Malik (right), of Middleport, were key members of a county lines gang that funnelled crack cocaine and heroin from the Potteries into Crewe.

The operation, which involved daily trips down the A500, came to a halt when officers intercepted their Toyota Prius on December 13.

The investigation began in October 2023 when Cheshire Police identified a new criminal network using “bulk text messages” to advertise Class A drugs to local users.

Following a period of surveillance, officers stopped the pair’s vehicle and discovered a mobile "graft" phone along with a significant haul of drugs.

Inside the car, officers found:

  • £4,450 worth of heroin and crack cocaine on Darr’s person.

  • An additional £3,050 worth of crack cocaine stashed in the rear.

  • £1,600 in cash and Malik’s ID card located in the centre console.

Subsequent raids on their homes uncovered another £2,500 in cash and multiple mobile devices, providing what detectives described as a “catalogue” of evidence.

Both men admitted to two counts of being concerned in the supply of Class A drugs and one count of possession of criminal property.

Darr was sentenced to five-and-a-half years, while Malik received 28 months.

A spokesperson for Cheshire Police emphasised the scale of the operation, stating: “In this case it was clear Darr and Malik were both high-level dealers involved in the supply of illegal drugs across the Crewe area.”

The force reiterated its commitment to making the region an “extremely hostile place for criminals,” noting that the illegal trade has a “devastating impact on not only drug users, but the community around them.”


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