Release date: January 31, 2022
Photo: GMP
Brothers Imad Ul-Haque from Ramsbottom and Ibad Ul-Haque from Rochdale were imprisoned
A couple who claimed benefits while living a drug-funded life of luxury have been jailed along with the man’s delinquent siblings.
Imad Ul-Haque, 32, from Ramsbottom; his brother Ibad Ul-Haque, 29, of Rochdale; her sister Sabra Haque, 30, of Rochdale; and Imad’s partner Holly Palmer, 30, of Ramsbottom, all appeared at the Crown Court on Minshull Street in Manchester today (Monday 31 January).
Imad Ul-Haque was jailed for 17 years and seven months after pleading guilty to conspiracy to supply Class A drugs and money laundering.
Ibad Ul-Haque was sentenced to 12 years in prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to supply Class A drugs.
Sabra Haque received 250 hours of unpaid labor and Palmer received a suspended sentence of 19 months and 300 hours of unpaid labor after pleading guilty to money laundering.
Imad and Ibad had distributed approximately 50kg of cocaine
and directed others to distribute the drugs across the country
This sentence follows Operation Venetic – a nationwide crackdown led by the National Crime Agency (NCA) against communications platform EncroChat – it is the UK’s largest law enforcement operation to date.
Following the 2020 infiltration of Encrochat – a sophisticated encrypted communications service often used by organized crime groups – by law enforcement agencies in Europe, data was handed over to police forces across the UK for investigation.
Several investigations were launched in Greater Manchester and detectives from GMP’s Rochdale Challenger team managed to uncover the identity of the Rochdale organized crime family, after it was soon revealed that Imad and Ibad were the encrochat handles ‘Stark Butter’ and ‘Paperspawner’ used to run their drug operation. Sabra and Holly were also caught up in their criminal web.
Analysis of the news between March and May 2020 revealed that Imad and Ibad had distributed approximately 50kg of cocaine and directed other members of the OCG to distribute the drugs across the country. The messages sent by the two men also referenced Holly and Sabra and highlighted their involvement with both women helping launder money from the illegal activity.
In some messages, Imad shared images of the interior of his home, which was for sale online at the time of the investigation, and officers were able to match items, including a bicycle, in the encrochat images to the images posted in the online ads.
Both Imad Ul-Haque and Holly Palmer then invested the money made from selling drugs in high-value assets, while Palmer claimed Universal Credit after stating Imad was unemployed, they had no savings and she could only make £500 in the month.
Between April 2016 and October 2020, the duo deposited tens of thousands of pounds into their bank, even depositing £155,995 on a £520,000 home, claiming £113,000 of the deposit was paid directly from their personal savings.
Palmer was also able to buy a BMW worth almost £60,000 during this period.
Police Constable Lucas McGregor, from GMP’s Rochdale Challenger team, said: “Ul-Haque and his family believed they could commit crimes with impunity.
“They supplied the North West with large quantities of cocaine and lived a lavish lifestyle of expensive vacations, drug-financed homes and cars while the people of Rochdale struggled through the pandemic.
“While committing their crimes, Imad Ul-Haque and his wife Holly Palmer demanded benefits for even the most vulnerable in society. Palmer then shamelessly argued that since she had previously helped people with disabilities, the very people she left out of pocket, the court should show her leniency.
“Her greed for extravagant accessories has obviously blinded her to the risks of her lifestyle. All of that has now been rightfully taken from them.”
