Student Drug Dealer and Accomplice Jailed After Railway Sting at Hull Station

Two men have been jailed for a combined total of eight-and-a-half years after plain-clothes British Transport Police officers uncovered a drug dealing operation at Hull Paragon Interchange.

University student Muhammed Chakchouk, 22, of Alaska Street in Hull, admitted possessing Class A drugs with intent to supply after being found with cocaine and ketamine. He also pleaded guilty to three additional offences committed within Humberside Police’s jurisdiction. Chakchouk was sentenced to six years in prison at Grimsby Crown Court on 26 February.

His accomplice, Shahin Zamani, also 22, of Stanley Street in Hull, was jailed for two-and-a-half years. Zamani pleaded guilty to possession with intent to supply cocaine and two further charges relating to the supply of ketamine and cannabis. He also admitted possession of sulphuric acid, a regulated substance, without a licence.

The case began on Wednesday 30 March 2022 when officers from British Transport Police’s County Lines Taskforce, operating in plain clothes, noticed the pair behaving suspiciously at the entrance to the station platforms at Hull Paragon Interchange. Officers observed Zamani holding what appeared to be a small burner-style phone as well as another mobile device.

The pair left the station but returned roughly an hour later, following the same route. Their behaviour prompted officers to intervene and stop them.

When questioned, Zamani claimed he only had one phone and insisted the device concealed in his pocket was a vape. After being challenged by officers, he produced the burner phone but claimed it did not belong to him.

Both men were detained and searched. Officers found Zamani carrying two smartphones and a quantity of cash. Chakchouk was found with a smartphone, a burner phone and cash, while giving officers several conflicting explanations about where the burner phone had come from and who owned it.

When officers examined the seized phone, they noticed preview messages on the screen that appeared to relate to drug dealing. The pair were arrested at the station and police later carried out searches of their home addresses.

A search of Zamani’s bedroom uncovered 50.18 grams of cocaine, 4.18 grams of ketamine and 194 grams of cannabis. Officers also found a knife, a bottle of sulphuric acid, more than £5,000 in cash and equipment associated with drug supply.

At Chakchouk’s address, officers recovered 1.08 grams of cocaine and 508 grams of ketamine along with weighing scales, two burner phones, £380 in cash and two loose SIM cards.

Although both men refused to provide PIN codes for their digital devices, forensic examinations of the phones uncovered messages confirming they were involved in supplying drugs. Investigators also found a message exchange between the pair that showed they were working together.

BTP Detective Inspector Matt Davies said:

“Chakchouk and Zamini were both involved in running a large-scale drug dealing enterprise across Humberside. The fact that they are now both behind bars is a significant win in the war on drugs and our continued mission to shut down County Lines. We are committed to apprehending anyone who uses the railway to sell and profit from the sale of drugs, and ensure they are brought before the courts. Thanks to this interception a large quantity of harmful drugs that would otherwise have found their way into our communities have been seized and destroyed. Our County Lines Taskforce patrols the network round the clock, every day of the year – if you spot something suspicious while travelling on the railway, you can text us on 61016.”

Image: British Transport Police